Desires of the Heart
by AlucardsBro
Summary: Ever since he lost his powers, Ichigo's friends have started spending less and less time with him. They still care, but they've become extremely distant. However, when he fishes a vase out of a river, Ichigo just might get the companionship he's been longing for. It just may not be what he expected...
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Wish Upon

—

 **Hello everyone, AlucardsBro here yet again with another** _ **Bleach**_ **crossover.**

 **This story will be replacing my Dragon Ball Z x Fairy Tail crossover that received almost no attention whatsoever since I published it quite a while ago. Unlike "Bloodstained Souls," this story will not contain very much action, as I am trying my hand at comedy/slice of life. That being said, there will still be a main villain much later on, but I won't reveal who it is.**

 _ **Danny Phantom**_ **was one of the main few shows I watched growing up, and although I realize that fics based on this series have almost been played out, I would like to attempt to write a decent one. Also, there are hardly any stories about Desiree, and that simply won't do.**

 **And so, without further delay, let's begin!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

—

Ichigo hardly paid attention as Chad and Uryu rushed out of the school courtyard.

Ever since the loss of his powers, it had been up to his friends to maintain the number of Hollows within Karakura Town, and between their time at school and their time patrolling the city, they had devoted much less time to hanging out with the former Substitute. The orange-head didn't hold it against any of them in the slightest though; after all, ensuring that wayward spirits weren't devoured by soul-eating monsters was certainly more important than spending time with him.

They all still spoke cordially at school, but the underlying bond that they all shared seemed to have withered considerably. Chad, Uryu, and even Orihime always spoke as if they were dealing with fragile glass when around him; as if they were afraid he'd suddenly get depressed and mopey.

Scowling, Ichigo banished those self-depreciating thoughts and shouldered his backpack. Tatsuki gave him a friendly wave as she went in the opposite direction, which he returned with a small smile of his own. Weirdly enough, the two of them had rekindled their once close friendship ever since he'd become an ordinary human. If there was anyone who could understand what it was like to feel like a bit of an outcast, then it would be the brunette tomboy.

Walking down the street, Ichigo turned abruptly to head towards the river. He didn't really feel like going straight home anyway; his family had also started to speak carefully around him, and although they didn't exactly know what was going on, they had enough sense to be able to tell that something was definitely off about him. The twenty minute walk from Karakura High School to the river went by relatively quickly, and soon enough the former Substitute found himself in the exact spot where his mother had sacrificed her life to preserve his own all those years ago.

"Hey mom," Ichigo smiled slightly. "I know I usually talk with you up at the cemetery, but I figured you wouldn't mind if we chat here instead. I just really need some advice…without my Soul Reaper powers, I feel…well…just really useless. My friends are out there every day and night fighting Hollows and protecting innocent people while I've been sitting in my room playing on my computer."

The teenage boy slid his backpack off of his shoulders and gently lowered it to the ground before sitting down next to it himself. "I just wish there was something that I could be doing instead of moping around. I wish there was someone else out there who knows what it's like to lose everything that defines who you are…"

He went silent for a while, and simply listened as the water rushed by. After several minutes of sitting in silence, the orange-head shook his head and looked out at the river. His eyes suddenly narrowed when the sunlight glinted off of something in the shallows, and he squinted to try and get a better look. Rising to his feet, Ichigo rolled up the legs of his pants and waded out a foot or two into the river before reaching down to pick up the metallic object. Whatever it was, it was certainly very beautiful, for in his hands was a small golden container about the size of a water bottle, with ornate carvings and symbols etched all around the base. The lid was screwed on tightly, and when he attempted to open it, Ichigo's eyes widened when an electric sensation traveled through his fingers and up the entirety of his right arm.

Almost dropping the vase in surprise, the former Substitute furrowed his brow and gave the object a funny look. "Weird…someone must have chucked this thing in the river by accident; I can't imagine why anyone would get rid of something like this on purpose…"

Wading back to shore, Ichigo quickly unzipped his backpack and stuffed the vase inside. Whatever it was, it would definitely look cool on his bookshelf.

The walk home was fairly quiet; by now he would have almost certainly seen at least a few spirits if he still had his powers. It definitely wouldn't do any good to dwell on what might have been, so instead of focussing on the past, the orange-head instead began to ponder about the nature of his newest find. The writing on the side had been in some kind of language he wasn't familiar with, but he had seen enough movies and watched enough television to say that it almost looked similar to Arabic. Great, with his luck he'd probably ended up with a cursed jar that had the potential to destroy all of mankind…

So caught up in his thoughts was Ichigo that he very nearly slammed face first into his front door. Blinking in surprise at the fact that he'd walked home it what had seemed like such a short amount of time, the former Substitute merely shrugged and walked through the door. Almost as soon as he entered the house, the orange-head dropped into a crouch just in time for Isshin Kurosaki to sail over his son's head.

Crashing down onto the pavement outside, the Kurosaki patriarch let out a pathetic groan before leaping to his feet and pointing an accusatory finger at his deadpanning son. "Why would you dodge that kick my beloved boy? Surely you would have known that such an action would have caused me pain!"

"Shut up Old Man…now get inside before the neighbors start to stare," Ichigo scowled impassively. Turning around and heading up the stairs, the former Substitute ignored his father's childish protests in favor of going to his room.

Shrugging off his backpack, he set in on his bed and opened it up, only to scowl once again when he realized that the vase had gotten all of the bag's contents sopping wet. "Oh great…I really should have dried this damn thing off first."

Taking out the vase and setting it on his nightstand, Ichigo removed everything from his backpack and set it all out to dry. Once that was taken care of, he briefly left the room to grab a towel from the bathroom. When he returned, he sat on his bed and grabbed the vase itself and began to rub it dry.

If only he had known…

When the vase began to uncontrollably vibrate, Ichigo let out a startled yelp and fell backward off of the bed, dropping the object in the process. He watched with wide eyes as green smoke began to leak from the vase's lid, the the runes adorning it's side began to glow a vibrant shade of emerald. The orange-head almost fell over again when the lid popped off and shot across the room like a bullet, leaving an indent in the opposite wall.

Green fog continued to fill the room to the point where his vision was entirely obscured, making him cough and close his eyes. When the haze finally began to dissipate, Ichigo rubbed his eyes and attempted to blink several times in order to clear his vision. A shape began to form in the mist, and eventually it took on an obviously humanoid form.

Ichigo's jaw nearly fell off and clattered to the floor.

Now, let it be known that he had been around numerous absurdly gorgeous women nearly all throughout his tenure as a Substitute Soul Reaper.

Yoruichi was a shameless tease, but even he couldn't deny that she was absolutely stunning. The Flash Goddess would never let him hear the end of it if she ever found out he'd actually tried to sneak a few glances during their time training at the hot springs.

Rangiku Matsumoto was also an extraordinarily beautiful woman, and she had assets that most girls would kill for. Although he'd never told anyone else, he'd actually thought about what it would be like to date the well endowed Lieutenant, and he knew for a fact that she was at least physically attracted to him in return.

Isane Kotetsu, although she was extremely shy and soft spoken, was yet another example of feminine glory. They had spoken only a handful of times, and although Ichigo couldn't say that they knew one another very well, he definitely wouldn't have minded getting to know her better.

The list went on and on, but if he was being completely honest, Ichigo would confidently state that the woman now in front of him was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever laid eyes upon.

She was tall, even more so than himself, with a slim waist and voluptuous figure than would make nearly all supermodels on the planet green with envy. Ironically enough, this woman herself had deep emerald-toned skin, which contrasted beautifully with her ruby-red eyes. Extremely long black hair cascaded down her back like a raven-colored waterfall, and several strands obscured the right half of her face.

Her attire consisted of a blue headband and a purple ornamental necklace. A blue strapless crop top with purple trims covered her admittedly large chest, and a metallic purple belt with a blue jewel in the center was wrapped around her waist. A metallic purple cuff adorned each of her arms, with one on her bicep and the other on her wrist, and she had two bracelets on her right wrist and one on her left.

In lieu of legs, her hips led into a long ghostly blue tail, which itself swished from side to side lazily. Obviously, this indicated that she was some type of spirit, but even so she was unlike anything Ichigo had ever seen.

She must have caught him staring, for she sneered and folded her arms under her ample bosom. "Oh how positively wonderful…I have been summoned by a lecherous hormonal teenager. Very well then, let us commence with the wish making so that I may be on my way."

Frowning at the spirit's haughty and obviously repulsed tone, the former Substitute rose to his feet and returned her glare with equal heat. "What the hell are you talking about? And who the hell are you?"

The green-skinned woman rolled her eyes. "Oh joy, he's dimwitted as well…to answer your questions, I am called Desiree, the great and powerful genie. Now, as I said before, state your wishes so that I may be rid of your despicable presence."

Ichigo deadpanned. "What, like from that movie Aladdin? And if you're so eager to leave, then why don't you just go?"

Desiree scoffed as if she had just been given the greatest insult in all of history. "You do not wish to accept my most generous offer? Very well then, I shall take my leave of you, you disgusting man."

The green genie disappeared in a flash of green smoke, only to reappear not a second later. The spirit's red eyes widened, and she attempted to leave again, only to be met with the exact same result every time. "What sorcery is this?! Why can I not vacate the area?!"

Whirling around, she let out a snarl and flew right into Ichigo's personal space. "YOU! You are doing this aren't you? Release me from this spell at once!"

Not one to back down, even from a woman, Ichigo got right back in Desiree's face and snarled right back at her. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about! Don't blame me if you can't teleport right!"

The genie's eyes widened before bursting into a fiery inferno. "I can teleport just fine, you pathetic human pig! How dare you insinuate that I am anything less than perfect!" Letting out an annoyed huff, she looked him up and down before frowning. "How peculiar…your spectral energy is abnormally high for a human; the level at which it rests must have been enough to actually bind me to you…how wonderful."

The orange-head frowned. "What does that mean?"

"What it means, Little Master, is that until you finish making all three of your wishes, I am bound to you and you alone. I am unable to leave your direct area without your permission, and I cannot grant the wishes of others until yours have been fulfilled."

Ichigo snorted.

So, he was stuck with a prissy ghost who thought she was above everyone else on the planet? Fan-fucking-tastic…

"I don't have any wishes I want granted…unless…can you give me my Soul Reaper powers back?" Ichigo questioned hopefully.

Desiree raised an elegant eyebrow before closing her eyes. She remained silent for a while, but after about a minute, she opened her eyes and let out a sigh. "It seems as though such a thing is beyond my power…"

Scowling, the orange-head sat back down on his bed, while his new guest lazily floated horizontally in the air. "What else CAN'T you do?"

The red-eyed spirit narrowed her eyes at the less than subtle jab at her pride, but replied nonetheless. "I am unable to bring back the dead, make individuals fall in love, or bend the fundamental aspects of reality. I also cannot refuse anything my master asks of me."

Ichigo's eyes widened at the implied meaning behind the end of that statement. "Has anyone ever tried to…"

"Molest me? As if I would ever allow a filthy man to lay his hands on me; but to answer your question, no, nothing of the sort has ever happened to me," Desiree answered, and despite himself, Ichigo let out a sigh of relief.

Looking up at her, the former Substitute leaned back against his pillows. "Can't I just release you from the bond?"

The raven-haired genie shook her head. "Only with your third wish. Believe me Little Master, if I could get away that easily, I would have suggested it to begin with."

"Then why don't you just tell me about yourself."

"Is that a wish?"

Ichigo smirked marginally. "No, it's just a request; if I'm gonna get three wishes, then I want them to actually be meaningful."

Desiree sighed and made herself comfortable in the air. "Very well Little Master; before the time of my death, I was a peasant girl who grew up with my family in a fairly typical settlement in Saudi Arabia. By the time I reached the age of twenty-three, I caught the eye of the local Sultan, who made me a part of his harem. He told me that I was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen, and he promised to grant me all of my heart's desires, and even a kingdom of my own…"

The genie's eyes turned downcast and she let out a dejected sigh. If not for the fact that he was almost certain she would rip his arm off, Ichigo would have at least attempted to comfort her.

"Eventually, I was cast out by the Sultan's jealous wife, and I was doomed to wander the land for the remainder of my life on Earth before eventually dying of old age and a broken heart," she finished her tale, and briefly reached up to wipe at her eyes. "The Sultan never even once attempted to speak on my behalf; me, who had promised my life to him. I learned that day that men will only keep you around until you have fulfilled your usefulness to them, or it becomes to inconvenient to keep you around."

Her eyes snapped up to meet Ichigo's, and the former Substitute had to repress the instinct to flinch. "And what of you, Little Master? What has life entailed for you?"

Scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably, the orange-head let out a sigh. "Well, for starters, my mother sacrificed her life to save mine when I was just a kid. My dad basically had to raise me and my little sisters all on his own ever since then, and even though he can be a damn goofball most of the time, he did an okay job of doing it. A year and a half ago, I was given the power to fight corrupted spirits known as Hollows…"

Ichigo raised an eyebrow when Desiree mumbled something under her breath about 'Super Powered Ghost Boys,' before shaking his head and continuing with his story. "Anyway, for a while my job was mostly just about fighting Hollows, but a few months after I got my powers I got into a fight with a guy named Sosuke Aizen, who wanted to become the ultimate life form. I ended up beating him, but it cost me all of my powers."

From her spot in the air, Desiree's eyes softened slightly. "So…you DO know what it means to lose everything you once held dear."

Ichigo shrugged. "I guess so, but if I had to do it all over again, I would do it in a heartbeat. My friends needed me, and I would give up everything to protect them if I had to."

The genie smirked a bit condescendingly, but there was no real heat behind the action. "My my, how noble of you my Little Master; it seems that perhaps I was a tad to quick in grouping you with the rest of the male scum on the planet."

The former Substitute smirked. "Gee, thanks…"

They fell into a comfortable silence for a while, but just when Desiree attempted to speak up, Ichigo's bedroom door slammed open. "Yo Ichigo, Yuzu wanted me to tell you that dinners ready," Karin announced lazily.

Ichigo froze.

As far as he knew, Karin was at least somewhat spiritually aware. Could she see Desiree?

His little sister gave him a funny look. "What's your problem Ichigo? Are you just gonna sit there all night, or are you gonna come down and eat with the rest of us?" Without bothering to wait for a response, Karin turned around and headed back downstairs to the kitchen, leaving behind a thoroughly confused Ichigo and a highly amused Desiree.

"Oh, I like her!" The genie giggled at her new master's expense.

—

Dinner was an extremely awkward affair.

Between his father and sisters sparing him sympathetic looks, and watching Desiree float into everyone's personal space without them even being aware of her existence, it took nearly everything Ichigo had to not collapse into a mixture of amusement and frustration.

"Hmm…cuisine certainly has changed since my day," the ghost genie mused aloud, although the former Substitute was the only one who could hear her. Apparently deciding that watching the Kurosaki family eat their dinner was boring, the green woman floated away and began to inspect to rest of the living room and kitchen. "Your palace is quite drab Little Master; I know you said that your mother is deceased, but this place could still use more of a woman's touch."

Ichigo grunted in acknowledgement, which in turn drew the attention of his family.

"You okay there Ichigo?" Isshin raised an eyebrow, glancing up at his son before turning to look in the direction in which the orange-head had been staring. To his eyes, there was absolutely nothing there; however, Ichigo saw Desiree phasing her head and shoulders through the door of the refrigerator.

"Yeah, I'm fine…just thinking I guess," the former Substitute replied easily before digging back into his meal.

Isshin frowned momentarily, before simply shrugging in acceptance and turning back to his own plate of food.

Once they'd finished eating, Karin and Yuzu had taken the dishes into the kitchen to wash up, while Isshin had relocated to the couch to watch some cheesy retro samurai movie.

Ichigo himself was about to head back upstairs, but he paused upon noticing Desiree floating directly in front of his father's giant poster of his mother. The genie appeared deep in thought, and barely registered when her new master came to stand next to her.

"She is quite beautiful…is this your mother you spoke of?" The spirit asked curiously.

The orange-head nodded, and whispered his answer in order to avoid any suspicion by his family. "Yeah, that's her."

Desiree smiled softly, seemingly satisfied with the response. "Very well then, I shall see you upstairs Little Master." And without waiting for a reply, the genie floated up through the ceiling to the second story.

How convenient that must be.

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo ascended the stairs back up to his room. He seriously needed a shower.

Opening the door to his bedroom, the orange-head frowned upon noticing a distinct lack of busty ghost genie, but shrugged nevertheless and grabbed a clean towel and a fresh pair of clothes. Walking to the bathroom, he made sure to keep a sharp eye out for his new companion, but strangely enough she was nowhere to be seen. Upon reaching the bathroom, he closed and locked the door before stepping out of his school clothes and turning on the shower.

Pulling the privacy curtain closed, the former Substitute squeezed some shampoo into his hands and proceeded to start washing his hair.

"Oh my…"

Ichigo let out a very unmanly shriek and nearly fell over in the tub. After a moment of untangling his limbs, he whipped around to see a very amused looking Desiree sticking her head through the wall.

"It appears as though I spoke too soon when calling you 'Little' Master." The genie's cheeks turned a slightly darker shade of green, and she let out an elegant chuckle. "I may not tolerate a man laying his filthy hands upon me without my permission, but even I can still appreciate the masculine form."

"GET OUT!" Ichigo yelled furiously, his entire face an atomic shade of red.

Phasing completely through the wall, the genie huffed and folded her arms beneath her large breasts. Being a ghost, she didn't have to worry about the stream of water spouting from the shower head getting her own clothes wet. "You know, most young men your age would be positively thrilled at the idea of sharing a bath with a beautiful woman…are you saying that you do not find me desirable, Little Master?"

To Ichigo's utter bewilderment, she stuck out her lower lip and looked down at him with sad eyes. What the actual fuck?! She was literally threatening him not even thirty minutes ago! How did she go from murderous and vindictive to teasing and pouty in that amount of time?!

His train of thought was broken when Desiree's mournful expression melted away, and she fell into a lapse of amused chuckles. "I only jest Little Master; I am very well aware of how beautiful I am. You would be absolutely privileged if I were to ever even consider the idea of bedding with you."

Okay, stab to his male pride aside, Ichigo scowled and pointed towards the door. "Out."

The spirit rolled her eyes. "Oh very well."

Flying towards the door, she paused momentarily and looked back at him over her shoulder. "Just so you know Little Master, I have been around for quite some time. And out of everyone I have seen in both my living and undead lives, I must admit that you are far much better equipped to satisfy a woman than anyone else I have ever encountered; you should be quite proud." With a wink and a final teasing giggle, she phased through the door.

Ichigo opened his mouth, but no words were able to form.

His face was so red that steam was literally wafting off of his skin. Grumbling under his breath, the orange-head slowly stood up and continued with his shower. God help him if Desiree and Yoruichi were ever able to actually meet.

Only a second later did he realize the horror that scenario entailed, and his eyes widened as a shiver crept through his body. Yoruichi alone was almost too much for him to handle without his blood pressure going through the roof…and he highly doubted that he had witnessed the full extent of his new guest's teasing capabilities.

The two of them together would have the combined feminine power to bring all of humanity to it's very knees. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, the former Substitute attempted to finish cleaning himself.

A moment later though, his eyes widened in terror yet again.

Oh God…what if Kukaku and Rangiku got in on it too…

The world would not survive such a seductive alliance.

—

 **And there is the first chapter.**

 **I apologize if Desiree seems a bit OOC, but I genuinely think she would behave differently if she was around someone she thought she could trust and felt comfortable with.**

 **As I said at the beginning of the Author's Notes, this story will be more of a friendship and romance fic, while also focussing on comedy and Ichigo's daily life with Desiree tagging along for the ride. Imagine all of the hilarity that could ensue since no one but Ichigo is able to see her.**

 **Speaking of which, allow me to explain that. You know how earlier in the chapter Ichigo felt an electric sensation when he tried to first open Desiree's vase? Well, due to his nature, Desiree's spirit energy reacted to him in a way it never has to anyone else before. Think of it as a dominance thing. Ichigo has inherently more energy (even without his powers) than anyone else Desiree has ever encountered, and so her nature as a genie acknowledged this fact, and spiritually bonded the two of them together until all of Ichigo's wishes are fulfilled. Make sense?**

 **Other Spiritual Beings will be able to see her, but even Spiritually Aware humans will not. Isshin would be able to see her if he exited his Gigai.**

 **Anyway, yeah, Desiree can be a tease, but she does not by any means have feelings for Ichigo. She might hold slightly more respect for him than any other man she's ever met, but she's still cautious.**

 **Other** _ **Danny Phantom**_ **characters will appear later on, but not for quite some time.**

 **I hope anyone reading this finds it to be an enjoyable first chapter, and if so stick around for the next one. "Bloodstained Souls" should be updated later this week.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Tag Along

* * *

 **So yeah.**

 **My updating schedule will be pretty random during the school year, but I will still certainly attempt to put out new chapters as often as I can.**

 **Aside from that, I am honestly surprised by the number of followers that this story has received in the relatively short period of time it has been out. I guess people find the dynamic duo of Ichigo and Desiree to be an interesting pair.**

 **I thank you all for your patience, and I hope you like the new chapter!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

"Wake up Little Master."

Ichigo grunted dismissively and rolled over in his bed to face the wall.

"Rise and shine Ichigo."

The orange-head sleepily reached down to grab his blanket and pulled it over his head in an attempt to block out the noise.

"MOVE YOUR ASS, YOU LAZY HUMAN!"

Brown eyes shot open, and Ichigo shrieked as he fell out of the comfort of his bed in a tangle of limbs and sheets. Letting out a few curses that Yuzu would be appalled to know he used, the former Substitute pulled himself off of the floor and threw his blanket aside, only to immediately come face to-face with a very smug and thoroughly amused Desiree.

"You know, studies show that those who take enjoyment in the misfortune of others are more likely to have mental issues," the young man snorted as he climbed back to his feet.

Desiree simply smirked and rolled her crimson eyes. "Yes well, you will have to forgive me if I find it funny to see you make a fool of yourself."

Ichigo shot his new companion a sour look, which only seemed to amuse her even more. The genie let out a melodic laugh, and despite the situation, Ichigo couldn't seem to bring himself to stay mad at her.

Stretching his arms over his head and popping our several kinks that had manifested during the night, the former Substitute moved towards his closet and reached down to grasp at the hem of his shirt, only to pause a second later and glance over his shoulder at Desiree. "Do you mind?"

The voluptuous spirit grinned and allowed her tongue to quickly lick her lips. "Oh not at all Little Master, please continue…"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and pointed to the door.

Desiree huffed and crossed her arms underneath her sizable breasts. "You are such a prude Ichigo; I can think of very few men who would be embarrassed for a beautiful woman to see them undressing."

"Out."

"Oh, very well," the genie sighed, and flew through Ichigo's bedroom door out into the hallway.

After waiting for at least a minute to ensure that his guest wasn't going to try and spy on him, Ichigo pulled off his tank top and shorts; quickly replacing them with his school uniform. Despite the new addition to his life, he was still a high school student, and now that he didn't have to attend to his duties as a Substitute Soul Reaper he didn't really have any excuse to miss any more classes.

Giving himself one final once-over in the mirror, the orange-head grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulders. Exiting his room, Ichigo frowned upon noticing that Desiree was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging, the former Substitute headed downstairs and grabbed a slice of toast as he passed the kitchen.

Once he reached the front door, Ichigo paused mid-bite upon seeing the genie patiently waiting for him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked cautiously.

"Accompanying you to your educational institution, of course," she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I'm curious to see how things have changed since my time; I never really devoted much time to simply studying human behavior after I became a ghost."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You actually _want_ to go to school with me?"

Desiree simply shrugged. "Don't forget Little Master, there is a limit to how far away I can get from you without spontaneously reappearing at your side; I might as well accompany you."

The former Substitute nodded. "Fair enough, just don't cause any trouble."

The genie gasped dramatically, and raised a hand to her chest as if taken aback by the accusation. "Why Ichigo, do you really think that I of all beings would purposefully attempt to cause unnecessary mischief?"

Ichigo grumbled and attempted to suppress a grimace.

The walk to Karakura High School was fairly quiet, and Desiree seemed content to amuse and distract herself in taking in all of her new surroundings. Ichigo has a suspicion that this kind of peace and quiet would not be a regular occurrence in the near future, so he elected to try enjoying it for as long as he possibly could.

"Yo, Ichigo!"

The orange-head paused mid step when his name was called, and turned slightly to see none other than Tatsuki running to catch up with him. Her outburst also seemed to have caught Desiree's attention, as the ebony-haired spirit was now giving the approaching girl her undivided attention.

Coming to a stop next to her childhood friend, Karakura's resident tomboy grinned and planted her hands on her hips. "I don't know why, but you're looking a lot better than you were yesterday man; it's good to see that you're finally done moping."

"I don't mope," Ichigo scowled.

Tatsuki simply rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say Strawberry, now come on or we'll be late."

Now together, the two teenagers continued towards their common destination. Ichigo eyed Desiree warily when the spirit floated right up into Tatsuki's personal space and began to inspect her as if she were something to be appraised.

The young man startled when his ghostly companion's ruby-red gaze snapped up to him. "Have you been intimate with this one?" she questioned bluntly.

Ichigo choked.

Tatsuki gave him a funny look. "You okay there man?"

"F-fine," he replied shakily.

The brunette continued to stare at him for a few moments before simply shrugging it off and turning away.

"I suppose I'll take that as a 'NO'," Desiree tittered innocently.

The orange-head shot her a particularly dirty look.

* * *

"Well well, two days in a row eh? It's good to finally see you again Ichigo," Misato Ochi drawled sarcastically.

Ichigo grumbled slightly under his breath, but otherwise paid his teacher's words little mind. Walking through the collection of students, several of whom were giving his various glances, the former Substitute made way towards his usual seat at the back of the class.

Desiree quietly floated next to him and observed the rest of the unruly teenagers in the classroom. "It seems you are attracting some attention Little Master," she stated in amusement.

Cocking a brow, Ichigo subtly gazed across the room and barely managed to catch Orihime quickly looking back down at her desk.

"Let me ask you something," he whispered. "I know you said that the only human who can see you is me, but is it possible for significantly spiritually aware people to be able to see you too?"

The genie hummed thoughtfully before shaking her head in the negative. "No, the nature of our peculiar bond prevents absolutely any other humans aside from yourself from being able to witness my otherworldly beauty. This will continue to be the case until you make your final wish."

Ichigo snorted.

It was probably a good thing that no one else could see the absolutely jaw-dropping, and admittedly scantily clad spirit hovering over him. If Chizuru thought that Orihime was well-endowed, then she might actually go catatonic if she were able to see Desiree's assets.

And now he was thinking about giant ghost boobs…how wonderful.

From the front of the room, Miss Ochi slapped a ruler on her podium. "Alright you brats, sit down, shut up, and open up your textbooks to page thirty-five; we have a lot to cover today and not a whole lot of time to do so."

While his fellow students begrudgingly pulled their books out of their bags, Ichigo himself couldn't help but smile fondly. It was good to see that some things never changed.

As the lecture went on, Desiree began to lazily float around the classroom, looking at what various students were doing and getting right up in their personal space. A bored ghost was not a good thing after all.

Ichigo kept a careful eye on her as she inspected his friends. He wasn't sure if she would actually be able to interact with them, even if they were unable to see her. Some ghosts could actually influence the world around them, even though they were no longer a part of the physical realm. He had learned that lesson plenty of times while fighting Hollows.

After making at least two laps around the room, Desiree returned to his side and let out a huff. "I am bored."

"Then find something to entertain yourself," Ichigo hissed under his breath.

"Like what?"

"I don't know, count the leaves on the tree through the window or something."

Desiree grumbled and muttered several foreign obscenities, crossing her arms underneath her breasts and sinking slightly in midair. Ichigo simply shook his head; seeing someone who claimed to be so elegant and mature sulk like a child was definitely amusing, but he couldn't afford to pay too much attention to her or he might draw suspicion.

Several minutes of silence went by, and the longer he went without hearing the genie's grumbling, the more concerned Ichigo became. Slowly, he cast a glance over his shoulder, only for his eyes to widen.

Desiree was gone.

The orange-head's eyes rapidly scanned the room for any sign of his ghostly companion, but when he finally saw where she had gone, he froze. Dread welled up in his chest, and his face began to take on a very pale shade of white.

The emerald skinned genie was floating directly behind Miss Ochi with her hands outstretched and a truly mischievous gleam in her eyes. She briefly looked up to make eye contact with her Master, and the grin on her face told Ichigo that whatever she was about to do was not a good idea. He rapidly shook his head, uncaring of the strange glances his closest classmates were giving him.

Desiree's grin only widened, and she rapidly nodded in response. Flexing her fingers, the spirit leaned back briefly before lunging forward.

And promptly grabbed two hearty handfuls of his teacher's ass.

Misato Ochi let out a shriek unlike anything Ichigo had ever heard from a woman her age. Whirling around, she tried to find the source of her torment, but was only met with the sight of the chalkboard.

Ichigo's face fell into his hands.

The students murmured amongst themselves, until Tatsuki finally asked the question that was on all of their minds. "Miss Ochi…are you okay?"

The teacher spun back around to face her class with a noticeable blush on her cheeks. "Y-yes, I'm alright…I don't know what came over me. Let's continue with the lesson…"

Ichigo raised his head, and immediately turned to see that Desiree was once again by his side. "What the actual _FUCK_ is wrong with you?!" he hissed, giving her a glare so harsh that it would have petrified any lesser person.

The genie simply smirked challengingly. "Oh please Little Master, you don't have to put on that mask for me; you are a healthy young man after all, and even back in my day there were certain… _activities…_ that appealed to young men." Leaning down, she whispered huskily into the orange-head's ear. "Imagine it…two mature, well-endowed, smooth skinned women…tangled on the floor in a heap of sweat, passion, and eroticism…"

Ichigo felt his mouth go dry.

He was still a teenage boy after all.

Desiree laughed musically before disappearing in a puff of smoke, only to once again appear behind his teacher. "A woman of such high esteem, unable to show even the slightest hint of reaction for fear of what her pupils might think of her," she purred, leaning forward towards the completely unaware human woman.

"Stop," the former Substitute rasped quietly.

It was in vain.

Desiree slowly stuck her tongue out and licked her lips. "Enjoy the show…my Master."

Her hands inched forward to grasp the woman's breasts from behind, and Ichigo finally felt himself snap. The orange-head shot up from his seat, drawing the attention of every single person in the classroom. "Miss Ochi, may I go to the restroom?"

The teacher blinked several times at her student's unusual outburst, before slowly nodding. "Sure thing, but don't take too long."

Ichigo swiftly moved across the room and out the door, and once he was a good distance away, the bond he shared with Desiree ensured that she was teleported right back to his side.

Letting out a huff, the green spirit crossed her arms over her chest. "You know, some people would consider it rude to interrupt a girl's fun like that, Little Master."

The snarl she received in response made the genie's eyes widen, and she was genuinely taken aback by the absolutely livid look of rage on Ichigo's face. "Let's get something straight," he seethed. "You have absolutely no right to physically assault the people I care about; I don't care who you think you are! It isn't funny, it isn't _cute,_ it's just in poor taste."

Desiree tentatively lifted a hand and reached out towards her current Master. "Ichigo, I was simply jesting…"

"YOU CALL THAT A JOKE?!"

The emerald-skinned spirit visibly flinched back at the young man's outburst.

"Things may have been different back when you were alive, but nowadays it's considered a criminal offense to try and feel up or grope everyone you see," he snarled.

Ichigo realized his error when Desiree's eyes immediately hardened.

"You mean to call me a slut, correct?" she stated flatly.

"W-wha…?"

"After the Sultan abandoned me, I must have been starved for any kind of affection, right? Even if it meant sleeping with anyone or throwing myself at every living thing I encountered…that is what you are saying?"

"I didn't mean it like that…" Ichigo attempted to interject weakly, but it seemed his companion was on a roll.

"I mean look at me," she continued heatedly, even as ectoplasmic tears began to gather in her eyes. "The reason I dress this way must be because I want attention, right? I must have absolutely no shred of decency if I act this way…"

Ichigo's temper was losing steam, and quickly.

Desiree's rant had by now dissolved into sobbing hiccups, and she wrapped her arms around herself and turned away, attempting to preserve whatever shred of dignity she still had left.

"You're not a slut, and I never meant to insinuate that you are one," Ichigo said firmly. His depressed companion barely acknowledged his statement, so he decided to continue.

"You're beautiful and confident, and there's a difference in being confident in your body and shamelessly flaunting it for just anyone to see. The Sultan was a bastard to let go of you so easily, and while you definitely don't need the approval of any man, I personally think anyone would be lucky to be with you," the orange-head said, with nothing but absolute honesty in his voice.

Desiree remained silent for several long minutes, before finally looking back over her shoulder at her Master. "You truly mean that…?"

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, I really do."

Letting out a sigh and wiping her eyes, the genie fully turned around and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. "I have no idea what came over me…normally I would have reacted angrily at such an insult; I don't know why I felt so hurt by your words."

The former Substitute shrugged lightly. "Sometimes all it takes to break someone down is the right statement, and besides, I get the feeling that it's been way too long since you've had a good cry."

Desiree smirked. "I suppose it has…nearly four hundred years in fact."

Ichigo returned her smile. "A long time ago, I learned that it just isn't healthy to keep everything bottled up inside; there are just some times that you need to let it all out."

The spirit raised an eyebrow curiously. "Such wisdom at such a young age? Truly, you are full of surprises Little Master. I will attempt to refrain from any provocative behavior in the future."

The orange-head nodded. "Thanks, that's all I ask."

Desiree's kind smile quickly morphed into a sly grin. "However…I still might be tempted, especially since I am living with such a handsome and charming young man; and that is beyond my control."

Ichigo simply rolled his eyes and turned to walk back to class, with his companion floating by his side.

"Perish the thought, My Lady."

He received a light-hearted giggle for his efforts, and after what had just transpired, that in itself was more of a reward than anything else he could ask for.

* * *

The rest of the day went by without any more major incidents, and Desiree had been simply content with looking out the window and humming to herself until the end of the final class period.

Miss Ochi dismissed her students jovially, and wished them all a happy weekend.

As Ichigo packed up his books and put away his papers, he became almost instantly aware when a presence came to a stop directly by his desk. Looking up, he saw none other than Uryu Ishida giving him a very hard glare.

"Care to explain?" the Quincy asked curtly.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the orange-head snorted.

"Don't give me that, you were gone for nearly _twenty_ minutes! Either you are extremely sick and require the utmost medical attention, or there is something that I should know," Uryu replied.

Zipping up his bag, Ichigo stood up and shoved past his former ally. "My personal business is none of your concern."

Ignoring the incredulous looks he was receiving from Chad and Orihime, the former Substitute opened the classroom door and made his exit with Desiree in tow.

"A sensitive topic I presume?" the genie questioned cautiously.

Ichigo merely sighed. "No, not really. It just kind of pisses me off that they've been all but ignoring me for the past few months, but the minute they think I'm becoming spiritually aware again, they act like they have to make it their business."

The ruby-eyed spirit nodded in understanding. "Sometimes we think we know people for who they really are, but eventually it turns out to be nothing more than a mask."

"Don't get me wrong, they're still my friends, but I can't help but feel like the only reason they still bother is because they feel like they have to…maybe I'm just overthinking things," he replied a bit dejectedly.

Desiree hummed thoughtfully. "Well, whatever the case may be, I'm sure it will all work out in the end Little Master."

Ichigo grinned wryly. "You know, I never imagined you'd be trying to cheer me up when I met you."

The genie smirked right back. "Well, I can't exactly have any fun if my Master is laying around all of the time and feeling sorry for himself, now can I?"

Both human and ghost broke into good-natured laughter, and as they exited the school building it felt like their earlier argument had happened over a lifetime ago.

"If I may ask, what are our plans for this 'weekend' that your peers seemed so excited about?" Desiree questioned teasingly.

Ichigo shrugged and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Well, I have to work tomorrow…my boss will literally kidnap me if I don't show up again."

The spirit's eyes widened in disbelief. "Correct me if I am wrong, but is it not currently against the law at this point in time for one to forcibly abduct another against their will?"

"You'd think so right? But Ikumi doesn't really mean anything by it, and she's honestly kind of like the big sister I never had."

"Is she attractive?"

Ichigo paused mid-step and glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Desiree groaned and rolled her eyes. "I asked you an extremely simple question, Little Master. Do you find your employer to be physically appealing? Does she have full breasts? Wide hips? Firm buttocks?"

The orange-head scowled and turned a light shade of red. "I guess so…"

"There now, was that so hard to admit?" the genie teased. "We've known each other for less than a day, but even I can already tell that you are extremely repressed when it comes to showing interest in women."

"Do forgive me if I've got more important things to focus on," Ichigo snorted sourly, but it didn't seem like this was something Desiree would be letting go of anytime soon.

"I mean, I'm already aware that you find me at least physically attractive, and based on your earlier reaction, you found the thought of me engaging in erotic behavior with your instructor to be an intriguing possibility." The genie's eyes suddenly widened. "Could it be that you simply have a taste for older women, Little Master?"

Ichigo wanted to scream.

Ironically enough, both his father _AND_ Kisuke had proposed the same idea not too long ago, and in response he had punched them both in the face. Technically, almost every woman he knew could be considered a cougar in comparison to himself; they were all at least several hundred years older than himself after all.

But that did _NOT_ mean that he had a thing for MILFs damn it!

Desiree seemed to sense his internal distress. "Having a particular sexual preference is nothing to be ashamed of Ichigo…why, think of all of the things a more mature and experienced woman could teach you! She would know exactly what she wants, and would be more than qualified to show you how to bring her to a climactic release."

And now he had that image burned into his brain…fantastic.

"Can we please talk about something else?" the orange-head groaned pleadingly.

"Running away from your problems is exactly the opposite of what you told me to do earlier, Little Master," the genie stated in amusement. "But I suppose we can save any further discussion of you engaging in sexual relations with your employer and academic instructor for a later date."

Ichigo merely let out another pitiful groan.

Desiree laughed at her human companion's predicament, before suddenly going completely silent and snapping her gaze towards the nearest rooftop. Ichigo's mood immediately became serious as well, and he turned in an attempt to glimpse what she was looking at.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

The genie remained silent for several moments, before speaking in a tone so serious that he almost didn't recognize her voice. "There is someone following us…and based on their energy output, they are a spirit just like me."

"What do they look like?"

"They are garbed in black robes and traditional Japanese wooden sandals."

Ah, so it was a Soul Reaper then.

"Anything else?" Ichigo murmured.

Desiree nodded subtly. "It is a very short woman, and she has dark black hair that reaches barely down to her shoulders."

The former Substitute's eyes widened. There was only one person in both the Spiritual World and the World of the Living who matched that description.

"Rukia…"

"So you know her?" Desiree mused curiously. "What do you suggest we do Little Master?"

Ichigo thought quietly for a while, before finally turning to respond. "Does she seem to be acting hostile?"

"No, I believe she is simply observing us. Or, to be more precise, I think she is more focused on me than you," the genie replied.

Well fuck. Soul Society would know about Desiree now, and due to both her unique appearance and peculiar energy signature, Ichigo sincerely doubted that this would be the last time they would send someone to spy on them.

"Just ignore her for now, we'll deal with anyone else if Soul Society actually makes a move to attack you," the orange-head grunted and continued to walk in the direction of their home.

Desiree frowned and floated after him. "Do you genuinely think that they would be so bold as to do something like that?"

"I wouldn't put it past them," Ichigo sneered. "But even without my powers, I won't let them lay a hand on you, I give you my word."

The genie's eyes widened slightly at the determination in her Master's voice, and despite herself, she could feel a little bit of heat creep into her cheeks. She was more than capable of defending herself if need be, but even so she was genuinely touched by the fact that Ichigo was willing to fight for her, even without the abilities he had formerly possessed.

"As you say, Little Master."

* * *

 **I am very well aware of the fact that Desiree seems to be OOC, but I still genuinely think that she would behave quite differently if she was in the presence of someone she knew respected her and treated her just like any other person.**

 **And just to be clear, she still has reservations about Ichigo; they simply haven't been voiced. She would still most likely be opposed to him laying a hand on her, but she is slowly coming to understand that he is different from all of the men she has encountered in the past.**

 **So, things got a little steamy in this chapter eh?**

 **We also got to witness our favorite couple's first disagreement, and I think it's important to show that not all relationships follow a smooth path. There will be bumps in the road, but they still manage to get past them.**

 **And yes, Soul Society has become aware or Desiree's presence in Karakura Town. And we all know that little good can come of that, now can it?**

 **As I stated in my other story, "Bloodstained Souls," I have composed a list of potential stories that I have planned for the future. They will possibly be released when one of my current stories concludes, but that won't be for quite some time. Even so, I encourage you all to go check them out and see what you think.**

 **My next update will focus on "A Trial by Heroism," and then "Fibers of the Universe."**

 **I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, and I thank you for your patience. Until next time!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Working for the Weekend

* * *

 **So, yeah…it's definitely been a while hasn't it?**

 **I apologize for the extended period I have spent away from this story, but between my focus on "Bloodstained Souls" and the writer's block I've been feeling, I have only now just found the time to come back. I would have updated earlier this week, but I had a test to study for, and that obviously takes priority.**

 **But I'm back now, and hopefully I won't be gone for as long after this chapter.**

 **On a side note, if any of you are IchiYoru fans, then feel free to check out my newest story: "The Song of Our Nature."**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

The walk from the Kurosaki household to Unagiya Shop was typically boring and dull beyond belief. However, thanks to the addition of his newest acquaintance, Ichigo found the short little trip to be considerably more interesting.

"I cannot wait to see the woman who has managed to tame my Little Master…" Desiree teased, flying upside down in the air next to her orange-haired comrade.

Ever since Ichigo had told her how much of a spitfire his boss was, the green genie had become all but convinced that Ikumi must have possessed some kind of supernatural allure that allowed her to command someone as stubborn as he. He had tried to dispel such assumptions before his charge's imagination could run too wild, but it seemed as though he was already far too late to stop that from happening.

"For the last time…she hasn't _tamed_ me," the orange-head groaned, running a palm down his face. "She's just my boss; I have to do what she says or I won't get paid."

"Oh hush," Desiree scoffed. "If this woman is truly as strong-willed as you claim, then she will undoubtedly possess some kind of a charm, even if you are completely unaware of it yourself."

Ichigo raised a brow. "Why are you so damn interested in my love life anyway?"

His companion giggled. "Frankly, Little Master, you need all of the help that you can get when it comes to anything remotely romantic."

Grumbling under his breath, the young man went silent, which only served to amuse the genie ever further. The rest or their trek went by relatively quickly, and soon enough they came to a stop directly in front of the building that served as both Ikumi's home and business headquarters.

"So…yeah, I feel like I should warn you at least one more time," Ichigo groaned. "Ikumi really is a good woman at heart, but she can get a little…intense…"

Desiree gave him an extremely flat look. "Young Master, I was alive in a time where random assassinations and wars were commonplace; believe me when I say that I can more than handle a fiery woman. In more ways than one, I might add."

Blushing slightly, the orange-head shook his head and ascended the stairs leading to his boss' front door. Raising his hand in preparation to knock, Ichigo was nearly sent tumbling over the railing when the wooden door was flung open from within. A hand shot out of the doorway and grabbed a fistful of his shirt, and the young man was forcefully pulled forward once more until he was only a scarce few inches from his irate employer's face.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Ikumi shouted, not caring in the slightest of the odd looks their display was receiving from passersby. "Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

Regaining his bearings quickly, Ichigo met the dark-haired woman's intensity with his own. "Of course I do! It's barely past nine o'clock! My shift doesn't even start until nine-ten!"

Blinking owlishly, Ikumi subtly glanced down at her watch.

Well, would you look at that…the kid was right…

"T-that doesn't matter!" she shouted, easily reigniting her inner fire. "Let this be a lesson! Don't show up late ever again, or I'll come and get you myself!"

Letting out a huff, the older woman finally let him go and turned on her heel, walking back into the house. Smoothing out the stretched fabric of his shirt, Ichigo growled under his breath, while Desiree herself recovered from a side-splitting fit of laughter.

"Oh, I _like_ her!" the green spirit proclaimed, grinning widely. "You two would be absolutely perfect for each other!"

Ichigo wanted to scream. Instead, he simply straightened his shirt and followed his boss inside, with Desiree lazily bringing up the rear. Following the sound of clinking silverware, the orange-head made his way to the kitchen. No sooner did he cross the threshold into the room, before a steaming bean bun was delicately placed into his hands.

He gave Ikumi an odd look.

The older woman merely raised a brow and shrugged her shoulders. "What? I can't have my only employee doing his job poorly because he has an empty stomach."

"I already had a bowl of cereal…" he replied.

"And that's supposed to count as a decent breakfast? I don't think so; now eat."

Hesitantly, Ichigo sunk into the nearest chair and did as he was told.

Ikumi smirked and reached out to gently pat his cheek. "Good boy."

Seemingly satisfied for the moment, the dark-haired woman turned and left the kitchen to go over their requested job list for the day. Ichigo continued to nibble on his snack, all the while attempting to ignore the absolutely shit-eating grin of Desiree's face.

"She _liiiiiiiiiiikes_ you!"

The orange-head's eyebrow twitched, but he didn't dignify her teasing with a response. Unfortunately, it seemed as though his companion was content to continue speaking without his input.

"An older woman, and a younger man! Modern society deems such a relationship as unnatural, yet they continue to meet in secret. She cares for him, feeds him, and comforts him when he needs a shoulder to cry on. Then one day, as the rain falls outside, he finally has enough with concealing his true feelings! Sneaking up behind her as she prepares a meal, he places a kiss against her smooth neck…she lets out a gasp, but doesn't stop him as his hand trails between her thighs…so romantic!" the genie squealed, dancing around in midair like a woman possessed.

Ichigo's forehead simply slammed against the table. Ikumi was like the big sister he'd never had, but now he had the image of doings certain…things…with her seared directly into his brain. Admittedly, those images weren't necessarily unpleasant, but he respected her too much to not feel guilty about having them.

First Miss Ochi, and now this…

Seemingly sensing her Master's internal distress, Desiree ceased her teasing and floated over to gently lay a hand on his shoulder. She idly noted that this was the first time she'd allowed a man to come in physical contact with her for several centuries. "Worry not Ichigo, I was only jesting," she assured him soothingly. "But even so, you must admit that your employer is quite beautiful."

The orange-head smiled in appreciation at the gesture, before glancing up and catching a glimpse of Ikumi as she passed by the kitchen door.

"Yeah…she really is…" he admitted quietly.

Desiree smiled. "Well done, the first step to acceptance is admission."

Ichigo snorted and rolled his eyes. "Oh, shut up."

His companion merely chuckled good-naturedly.

* * *

"Thank you for choosing the Unagiya Shipping Service; we greatly appreciate your business."

Reciting the phrase that his boss had imprinted into his memory, Ichigo smiled pleasantly as he handed his last package's recipient their purchase. When the middle-aged woman closed her door, he allowed his smile to morph back into his signature scowl. Usually, his typical workday consisted of a variety of different tasks that depended on the type of person who requested them. Today, however, all he'd been doing was delivering packages.

Stretching out a kink in his spine, the former Substitute turned away from his last customer's home and prepared for the long walk back to Unagiya Shop. Desiree floated along silently by his side, and the duo made their way through the bustling streets of Karakura Town. Eventually, they were forced to take a shortcut through the park, and Ichigo decided to take a minute to rest his legs. Sitting on a bench, he closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.

"When you described your occupation, I didn't realize it would be this dull," the ruby-eyed spirit mused, crossing her arms underneath her breasts.

The orange-head merely chuckled. "Welcome to the world of business…"

The human and genie fell into another lapse of comfortable silence, with Desiree inspecting their surroundings while Ichigo continued to rest. Karakura Park was the hotspot for multiple couples both young and old, and there was a large playground closer to the center to entertain children while their parents could take a break from walking. When they were younger, the Kurosaki siblings had spent many an hour climbing all over the jungle gym and pushing one another on the swings.

Unfortunately for the park's numerous patrons, the current weather seemed intent on ruining their fun.

Thunder rumbled overhead, and Ichigo heard several children cry out for their parents. Opening his eyes, the former Substitute looked skyward. Clouds were beginning to gather overhead, and he even noticed a few flashes of lightning off in the distance.

Letting out a sigh, the young man rose to his feet and looked to his companion. "Come on, I need to check back in with Ikumi before heading home."

"Very well, but the weather does not bother me," Desiree shrugged.

"Lucky you," Ichigo snorted.

It didn't take extremely long to reach their destination, but by the time they arrived there was already a light shower of rain falling. By the look of things, it would most likely be pouring by the time they were actually able to head home. His spiritual friend might not mind walking through a storm, but Ichigo himself wasn't exactly keen on doing so.

Knocking on the door, the orange-head waited a few minutes for any form of a response. When he didn't receive any, he sighed and bent down to uncover the key he knew his employer kept under her doormat.

Upon entering the house, he detected the distinct sound of running water. Ikumi must be showering…

"I'm back!" he shouted, wanting to avoid an embarrassing incident if at all possible.

"I'll be out in a minute!" she hollered back in reply. "Make yourself comfortable!"

"Now's your chance to sneak a peek if you so desire," Desiree chuckled.

Ignoring the genie's teasing remark, Ichigo walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Reaching out to grab the remote off of the coffee table, he turned on the television and started flipping through the various channels Ikumi received.

A few minutes went by, and Desiree made herself comfortable at her Master's side, resting her head against his shoulder. She found it incredibly odd that she was actually able to physically interact with the citizens of Karakura Town, even if the majority of them couldn't see her. There was most definitely a higher concentration of spiritual energy in the city, so perhaps that had something to do with it…

She hadn't really meant to actually grope Ichigo's teacher the previous day; she had simply been teasing him. She had been just as shocked as he when her hands were able to make physical contact with the attractive woman's backside. Perhaps she was only able to touch people if she wanted them to feel her in return?

Eh, she didn't really care either way.

It was simply nice to sit with a man who treated her with respect. She was still a bit hesitant about completely opening up to her current Master, but those reservations were slowly melting away the longer she spent time with him.

She smiled softly when she felt a strong arm carefully wrap around her shoulders.

Ichigo idly rubbed his thumb against her exposed skin, and after another few minutes he heard the shower in Ikumi's room finally stop. He felt his cheeks heat up slightly at the mental image of his boss slowly stepping out of the shower and drying herself off…

Oh fuck it all, he _did_ have a thing for older women didn't he…?

Something poked his cheek, and he looked down to his Desiree smiling smugly up at him.

"I was right, wasn't I?" she grinned.

"Oh, hush," he sighed in defeat, while the green-skinned spirit chuckled in amusement.

"I have said it before, yet I shall say it again. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being attracted to more mature women," she assured him.

The orange-head grumbled and looked back at the television. However, almost at the exact same time, Ikumi walked back into the room, and Ichigo literally felt his jaw drop.

Desiree purred in appreciation.

His boss was barefoot, and wore a light grey pair of sweatpants that clung to her body just enough to tease him with a view of her wide hips and long legs, while at the same time loose enough to deny him too much of an experience. A slightly darker grey sweatshirt covered her upper half, and a small white fifteen was embroidered over her left breast.

Wait a minute…

"Where did you get that?" he asked.

"Get what?" she raised a brow in confusion.

"That sweatshirt."

"Oh, this thing? I'm not entirely sure, but I've had it for at least a few months."

"Does it have a small hole in the hem at the bottom?" the former Substitute questioned.

"Uh, yeah it does," the dark-haired woman responded, blinking in surprise at the accuracy of his statement.

"I've been looking for that thing for a while," Ichigo chuckled. "I must have accidentally left it here that time you let me take a shower."

Ikumi looked down at herself, and laughed along with him. "Ya know, I always thought that it was several sizes too big for me. I've just been using it as the top half of my pajamas…but you can have it back after I wash it."

"Nah, you can keep it," the orange-head shrugged. "I bought another one to replace it when I realized it was missing." He heard Desiree squeal from her spot next to him, but he ignored her.

Ikumi looked surprised for a moment, but her expression quickly turned thankful. "Thanks Ichigo, it's been my most comfortable thing to wear…" Crossing the distance between the doorway and the couch, the older woman plopped down next to her employee while letting out a sigh of content. "You delivered all of those packages, right?"

"Yep," he replied.

The dark-haired woman nodded appreciatively and leaned her head against the back cushion of the couch. A slightly awkward silence followed, and Ichigo shifted a bit uncomfortably in his seat. It was a bit suffocating to be squashed directly between two insanely beautiful women, even if one of them was invisible to everyone else but him.

"So," he coughed awkwardly. "Where's Kaoru?"

His boss lazily rolled her head in his direction to appropriately face him. "He's at a friend's house. Apparently, some new video game came out a few days ago, and everyone in his class is obsessed with it."

Ichigo nodded.

Another awkward silence quickly fell. Desiree groaned and propped her chin up with her hand.

Finally, the orange-head stood up and wrung his hands awkwardly. "I guess I should probably be heading home now…it's getting pretty late."

Thunder boomed outside, and Ikumi fixed him with an exceptionably stern glare. "Like hell you are; there's no way I'm letting you walk all the way back through a damn storm. You can sleep on the couch tonight and head back in the morning."

"I only live a few blocks away…" Ichigo argued weakly.

His boss' frown deepened, and she pointed back down at the seat he had previously occupied. "Sit. Now."

Knowing better than to argue with a strong-willed woman, the former Substitute reluctantly lowered himself back down into the couch. Seemingly satisfied, Ikumi nodded once before standing up herself. "I'll go make us something to eat; don't go anywhere."

Giving her employee one last stern look, the dark-haired woman turned and relocated to the kitchen.

Once she was out of sight, Ichigo let out a resigned sigh. Desiree, on the other hand, grinned and floated back up into the air. "Now is your chance," she purred.

"What are you talking about?" her Master asked cautiously.

The ghostly genie huffed and rolled her crimson eyes. "I held myself back from encouraging you to approach your academic instructor, but that was an entirely different scenario. What you have now, though, is the perfect chance to take action!"

"Please stop…"

"Oh, quiet you! If I still possessed a purely physical body, I would certainly have the courage to at least approach such a beautiful woman. Her child is away for the evening, the two of you are all alone, a storm is raging outside…need I say more?!"

"Why are you so insistent on meddling in my romantic life?" Ichigo growled. "I thought you hated it when men acted like pigs…"

Desiree nodded. "Indeed, I do despise men who treat women as nothing more than objects and playthings, but you are not that kind of man now are you? Despite your…pitiful…interactions thus far with the members of the fairer sex, I can still tell that you would be a tender and considerate lover."

The orange-head flushed a brilliant shade of red.

"Furthermore," the spirit continued, "I don't think that I have to remind you that polygamy was quite common back when I was still alive, so if you think I will be bothered by the idea of taking multiple partners, then you are very much mistaken."

"I get that…" Ichigo admitted. "But, things have changed in the past few centuries. It's considered inappropriate and shameful to knowingly sleep with more than one person. Besides…the whole idea just seems kind of uncomfortable…"

Desiree's expression softened. "Sweet naive child…do you truly think that love can be bound by the rules society has set?"

The former Substitute's eyes widened. "But I'm not-"

The genie held up a hand to silence him. "I never meant to insinuate that you are genuinely in love with either your employer or your teacher; I am simply attempting to illustrate a point. Allow me to tell you a story; during the first few months I spent in the Sultan's palace, I was happier than I can ever remember being. I was fed well, clothed in exquisite dressings, and showered with praise for my beauty. At the time, I truly did love the Sultan…and I firmly believed that he was the only being that would ever occupy a space in my heart…"

Ichigo remained silent, listening intently to the tale.

"Such a fool I was," Desiree chuckled. "One day, during one of my trips to the bazaar, I happened upon one of my darling's handmaidens. We recognized one another from passing glances around the palace, but we had never actually spoken. Her name was Ahmanet…"

The utter affection that laced his companion's tone was nearly palpable, and the orange-head found him taken slightly aback by the tenderness that graced her features.

"Over the course of several days, we became the most steadfast of friends. However, as time passed, that friendship became something far more beautiful that I will treasure forever. One night, under the light of the moon, we made love. True, genuine, _indescribable_ love. Of course, at the time, romantic relationships between women were forbidden unless by request for the Sultan's entertainment, so we were forced to keep our escapades hidden. It worked for a while…but I suppose it's true what they say about no good thing lasting forever…"

Ichigo swallowed thickly, already knowing what the outcome had been. "What happened?"

Desiree's breath hitched, and ectoplasmic tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. "The Sultan found out, of course. I was spared his wrath due to being his favorite concubine, but he still forced me to watch as my beloved was put to death. 'No one shall touch what is mine alone,' he said as she was beheaded."

The genie's lower lip quivered, and it was quite obvious that she was attempting to hold her emotions in check for the sake of her pride.

Well, screw that.

Opening his arms, Ichigo offered her a sympathetic look. "Come here."

Although she initially hesitated, Desiree slowly floated into her Master's soothing embrace. The emotions he held that she could feel through their bond were apparently too much for her to bear, and she finally let out her anguish. Once again, she was incredibly thankful that she was able to physically interact with the citizens of Karakura Town of her choosing. Despite being one of the most powerful beings of the Phantom Realm, right now all she wanted was to be held.

Ironic, considering she'd shared her story with the intent of comforting her Master.

Now it was he who was comforting her…

"I'm sorry," she laughed pitifully.

Ichigo shook his head and ran his hands through her raven hair. "Don't be; I know what it's like to lose someone you love. Granted, the type of love was different, but I still understand how it feels."

The duo remained silent for a while, simply content with their positions. The former Substitute was grateful that Ikumi was taking so long in the kitchen, otherwise she'd see him tenderly embracing nothing but thin air.

Finally, Desiree pulled herself away and reached up to wipe her eyes. "Now do you understand my desire to see you take that chance?" she asked, offering her Master a watery smile. "I took a chance hundreds of years ago, and it is one that I shall never regret. Sure, it ended in heartbreak and pain, but the moments that Ahmanet and I spent simply lying in one another's arms are some that I hold most precious."

Ichigo hummed in thought. "That's why you're so invested in trying to convince me to make a move? You don't want me to live with the regret of what might have been?"

The emerald genie laughed softly and gently bopped her Master on the end of his nose. "Nice of you to finally catch on."

The orange-head looked off to the side uncertainly. Desiree smiled gently and shook her head. "Love is not something that occurs spontaneously, Little Master. Of course, there are rare instances when two people who are destined to be together suddenly meet, but more often than not, love is something that needs to be nurtured and tended to over time. But it all starts with a chance…"

"And what if that chance ends in failure?"

"Then you'll know that although it wasn't meant to be, you can still feel content with the fact that you at least tried."

Ichigo let out a low sigh. Ikumi was twenty-nine, and he was almost on the verge of being eighteen; his birthday was in a few weeks, in fact. Still though, twelve years was an awfully big age gap…

"I'm still just a kid," he said.

Desiree adopted such a look of seriousness that he was taken by complete surprise. "If I may be so bold, Little Master, in my eyes you are very much a man…"

The orange-head swallowed. "But I-"

"Ichigo," the genie interrupted.

"Y-Yeah?"

"Get off your ass, walk into that kitchen, and show that woman what she means to you," she all but ordered. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll tell you what to say."

Letting out a shuddering breath, Ichigo shakily rose to his feet. Desiree gave him another firm glare, and so he hesitantly made his way to the doorway of the kitchen. Ikumi was facing away from him, fretting over a large bowl of some kind of soup. She seemed completely unaware of his presence.

Casting another look at his ghostly companion, the orange-head offered her a pleading look.

She merely rolled her eyes and pointed at the woman in the kitchen.

Swallowing his nervousness, the former Substitute entered the room. Ikumi happened to glance over her shoulder, and she offered him a cocky smile. "Smells good doesn't it? This stuff is guaranteed to make even the coldest and rainiest of days melt to the very back of your mind!"

"Y-Yeah…" Ichigo managed to reply, returning her grin with his own.

"Keep stirring this for me, will you? I need to grab something from the pantry really quick," the dark-haired woman asked. He nodded and quickly took her place in front of the bowl. Ikumi quickly crossed the room and retrieved some kind of spice form the cabinet, before moving back over to sprinkle it into the soup.

The orange-head cast a subtle glance in Desiree's direction, but the spirit simply made an ushering motion with her hands.

Turning back to look at his boss out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo couldn't help but be absolutely mesmerized. She was certainly older than he, but there was no denying how incredibly beautiful Ikumi was. She didn't look a day over twenty in his opinion, and the fiery way in which she absolutely refused to take crap from anyone was just one of the things he found so incredible about her.

He couldn't believe it had taken him this long to reach such a realization…

"It sure does look good," he smiled, determination creeping into his voice.

Ikumi smiled proudly. "You're damn right it does!"

"But not as good as you…"

The dark-haired woman's eyes widened briefly, before she snorted incredulously. "Did you seriously just-mmmpph!"

Her words were cut off when her employee's lips melded with her own.

Ikumi froze in absolute shock, her eyes going wide. This was Ichigo! The guy who ran all her errands and who she treated like a little brother! And he was fucking _kissing_ her?! Regaining her motor skills, the owner of Unagiya Shop roughly pushed the younger man away and brought a hand up to her mouth. "What the hell are you doing?!"

The unapologetic bastard merely shrugged. "Something I've wanted to do for a long time now; I just hadn't realized it until recently."

"But…y-you! We…wha?" came her oh-so-elegant reply.

Heeding the words that Desiree whispered into his ear, Ichigo boldly took a step forward and grasped his boss' hands firmly in his own larger ones. She flinched, but didn't pull away. This was most likely due to the shock still flooding her system. He needed to say what needed to be said before she came to her senses and decked him across the face.

"Ikumi, you are undoubtedly one of the most incredible women I have ever been blessed to meet. The way you handle both a fully functioning business, and living as a single mother, is honestly one of the most inspiring things I have ever witnessed. You are strong, intelligent, unbelievably gorgeous, and I was a fool for not doing this sooner…"

Some of the more sophisticated words that he said didn't really feel right coming out of his mouth, but they appeared to work nonetheless. The orange-head had never imagined that he'd ever see the sass-master Ikumi blush like a schoolgirl. It was honestly one of the most adorable things he had ever seen.

The older woman swallowed the lump in her throat. "W-We can't…"

"Says who?" he retorted, arching an eyebrow.

"You're my employee…and you're a hell of a lot younger than I am…"

"Does it seem like I care?"

She sighed. "Look Ichigo, I appreciate this…but we can't…"

The former Substitute smirked and reached up to rub a thumb against her cheek. She flinched slightly, but didn't lean away from his touch. "Are you sure? Then at least let me have one final kiss."

Ikumi opened her mouth to respond, but whatever she had to say was drowned out when Ichigo once again pressed his lips to her own. This time, he did so with far less ferocity. In place of the ravenous desperation that occupied their previous kiss, this one carried all the passion and emotion he felt.

The raven-haired women closed her eyes and let out a muffled sigh.

Oh fuck…

Did she seriously just _swoon_?

She had to admit that it had been quite some time since she'd been held like this by a man; Kaoru's father had left the minute she had told him she was pregnant. She had thought he loved her, but it turned out she was nothing more than a single good time.

But now, as she felt Ichigo's strong arms wrap around her slender frame, she reluctantly had to admit that it was nice to feel _wanted_ again, and not just on a purely physical level.

Oh, damn it all to hell…

Fumbling around to turn off the stove, Ikumi quickly brought both of her hands back up to tangle in her employee's hair. Screw societal expectations, screw what might come of it, and screw the dwindling reservations in her heart. The one thing she was firmly certain of was that Ichigo was honest in everything he'd said to her.

After a minute, the two pulled apart, taking in deep gulps of much needed air.

"So," Ichigo smirked. "That proof enough for ya?"

Ikumi snorted and fisted the front of his shirt. "Shut up and kiss me, or you're fired."

"Yes ma'am."

The young man and single mother continued with their passionate make out session, and Desiree looked on with a fond smile. However, her smile slowly morphed into a confused frown.

She was genuinely happy that she'd helped Ichigo initiate what looked to be the beginnings of a truly beautiful relationship, so why did she have such an unpleasant feeling building up in her chest…?

* * *

 **And so begins the tale of Ichigo Kurosaki: MILF Master…**

 **Nah, but in all seriousness, when I started this chapter I never intended it to end this way. It just kinda happened…**

 **If anyone is upset or put off by this development, then that is certainly unfortunate, but it will still be happening. The same can also be said for the revelation of Desiree's sexuality; for the purposes of this story only, she will be bisexual. That isn't even my personal headcannon, but it fit the tone that I was trying to make, so I went with it.**

 **And yes, the main pairing will still end up being Ichigo/Desiree, but our dashing hero might have a few…** _ **escapades…**_ **now and then. However, I don't think I can stress enough that he will have Desiree's full permission. Hell, she might even be able to get in on the fun in the future. The only reason that I even decided to have Ichigo profess his attraction to Ikumi was due to the fact that Desiree is comfortable with the idea of a harem, since she grew up in a time where they were commonplace. And, like I said in the actual chapter, she pushes for Ichigo to actually confront his feelings due to the fact that she believes there is enough compassion and love in his heart for more than one person. Of course, if I do end up paring Ichigo _AND_ Desiree with some additional ladies, then it won't bee very many.**

 **The Sultan had multiple concubines for pure pleasure, and that's what makes him different from Ichigo.**

 **Ichigo isn't a playboy, and I won't be depicting him as such.**

 **That being said, I want to know if you guys would rather skip what follows Ichigo and Ikumi's make-out session, or if you want an actual lemon to begin the next chapter. I would be fine with either choice, and I already have scenarios planned for both options.**

 **Now then, let's talk about my other stories, shall we?**

 **For those of you following "Bloodstained Souls," I am sorry for not updating it in such a long time, but I have been experiencing some very troubling writer's block. Thankfully, I have managed to move past it, and I will be continuing that story next.**

 **The "Professor Kurosaki" rewrite will follow, and then I will continue "The Song of Our Nature."**

 **To be completely honest, I have lost nearly all motivation for "A Trial by Heroism" and "Fibers of the Universe." I was in a Ben 10 mood when I wrote them, but I'm not anymore. I will leave them up on the chance that I fully return to them, but I can't tell you when that might be.**

 **I would rather have the motivation to produce good chapters instead of hot garbage.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The First Wish

* * *

 **Hello everyone!**

 **Once again, I am terribly sorry for the long waits in between each new chapter, but what with the end of the semester, my time has been rather occupied. Hopefully, if my work schedule doesn't change too much during the winter break, I should be able to devote more time to writing for a while until school starts back up in January.**

 **On another note, if you were hoping to see a lemon in this chapter, then you will be disappointed. I know that many of you were very supportive of the idea of a lemon, but after doing some thinking I decided that it is** _ **waaaay**_ **to soon in Ichigo and Ikumi's relationship for them to start getting down to business.** _ **However,**_ **since so many people did in fact voice their approval for a lemon, I will go ahead and confirm that there will be some steamy scenes later on in the story. I just want to develop the relationships more.**

 **Thank you for understanding, and I hope you all enjoy!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

Something soft tickled his nose.

Scrunching his face up at the sudden sensation, Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, and was promptly greeted by the sight of a head of raven-black hair. A warm body was draped across his left side, and a pair of long and slender arms were wrapped securely around his midsection.

Oh, right…

Last night _hadn't_ been a dream then.

He _had_ made out with Ikumi…

He _had_ confessed his attraction to her…

And he _had_ grabbed several rather generous handfuls of her luscious rear end.

Blushing lightly as the memories of the previous evening returned to him, Ichigo took a brief moment to actually look down and observe their state of dress. His shirt was currently off, but thankfully his jeans were still covering his lower half.

As for Ikumi, he could feel that she had at some point discarded her own sweatpants, meaning she was now only clad in a pair of panties and his old sweatshirt.

Speaking of the ebony-haired woman, she suddenly let out a long breath, which tickled the side of his neck. Watching as his employer slowly awakened, Ichigo couldn't help but once again marvel at how incredibly beautiful she was. However, just as Ikumi let out a yawn, the orange-head finally realized a very important detail.

Desiree was nowhere to be seen…

A nose nuzzled against his collarbone, momentarily bringing his attention back to the woman in his arms.

"Good morning," Ikumi mumbled through a tired smile.

The former Substitute returned her smile with one of his own. "Morning to you too."

"What time is it?" the older woman inquired, reluctantly pulling herself out of the young man's grasp and rolling over to glance at her alarm clock. The sheets fell away from her form, which in turn gave Ichigo a much-appreciated view of her heart-shaped ass.

He definitely had to admit that despite her age, Ikumi had a body that most girls his own age would kill for. Of course, her physical beauty wasn't the only thing he admired about her. That being said, the former Substitute was still a hot-blooded young man, and as such the sight of an absolutely gorgeous woman's derrière was something he could most certainly get used to.

Unfortunately, the view didn't last for long, and his boss let out an unexpected screech before _leaping_ out of the bed.

"It's already ten o'clock?!" she voiced in disbelief, running over to her closet and pulling out the first pair of pants her eyes landed on. "I can't believe we slept so late!"

"What's the big deal?" Ichigo asked, folding his arms behind his head. "It's Sunday, and I know for a fact that you're closed on Sundays."

The older woman's head whipped in his direction, and she offered him a slightly irritated expression. "Kaoru will be home soon! You need to get off your ass and get dressed!"

The orange-head blinked.

Oh…well crap.

Throwing aside the blankets, Ichigo prepared to get up and find his missing shirt. As he did so, Ikumi took a momentary pause in her task and spared a brief glance in his direction.

For someone his age, the orange-head was _extremely_ well-built…

Shaking her head to clear her mind of _that particular_ train of thought, the ebony-haired woman attempted to once again preoccupy herself with getting dressed before Kaoru got back. Her precious little boy already had an obvious dislike for Ichigo, and that would only increase if he were to walk in on the two of them staring a bed while in various states of undress.

Even so, she wasn't about to immediately give up her newfound relationship just because her son disapproved of her choice in partner. She and Ichigo would simply have to keep their activities a secret for the time being.

Speaking of which…

"Ichigo, I feel like we need to make something clear," Ikumi suddenly spoke up, turning to once again face her employee.

The young man in question gave her a curious look as he finished pulling his shirt over his head. "Sure, what's up?"

"It goes without saying that the two of us would get into a considerable amount of trouble if anyone found out about this," she replied a bit nervously, anxious to see how he would accept her terms. "Aside from the fact that I'm considerably older than you, there's also the issue of you being my employee. Such relationships are often frowned upon in the professional world…"

Ichigo's brow furrowed, and Ikumi felt a brief pang of guilt pierce her heart. "Please understand that I'm not ashamed of you in the slightest…it's just…I want to protect both you and myself from how people may react if they found out…"

Before she could continue, the orange-head quickly crossed the room and swept her into his arms. Almost immediately, her worry and anxiety melted away, and she closed her eyes and let out a content sigh as she leaned against his firm chest.

"Don't worry," he assured her, running a hand along her spine. "I understand, and I always intended to keep this a secret from the beginning. I suppose we'll just have to make the best of the time we can spare."

Ikumi nodded, pressing a kiss against his collarbone through the fabric of his shirt. "Thank you." She continued to remain in his arms for a few more moments, before reluctantly extracting herself from his grasp. "As much as I'd like to lounge around with you all day, we _really_ need to clean up before Kaoru gets home."

Ichigo smiled and nodded, but not before reaching around to give her ass one final squeeze.

The older woman chuckled and playfully swatted his chest, before silently watching him move away into the living room. If she had discovered anything about Ichigo during the course of their passion last night, it was that he was particularly fond of her backside. Of course, he had only actually gathered the courage to grope her once she'd given him her full permission; but after she'd done so, he had spent a good amount of time palming her cheeks as they'd made out.

Ikumi bit her lip.

Who knew that her young employee could be so good with his hands?

* * *

As he entered the living room, Ichigo finally found the other woman he was looking for.

Desiree was hovering in the air over the couch, facing the blank television screen. Her arms were crossed underneath her breasts, and a slightly irked expression was adorning her face.

"Hey, you feeling alright?" he asked quietly, after making sure Ikumi was occupied elsewhere.

The genie's crimson eyes darted in his direction for only a fraction of a second. "Never better; I'm glad to see that you took my advice and enjoyed yourself last night," she replied curtly.

Ichigo frowned.

Was…was she giving him the cold shoulder?

"What's eating you?" he snorted, a slightly frustrated edge coming to his voice.

"I have no idea what you mean, Little Master," Desiree replied, still refusing to meet his eyes. "I have simply been enjoying some much-needed alone time while being forced to listen to the sounds of unbridled passion echoing from the next room. I am perfectly fine."

"Then why won't you look at me?"

The spectral woman let out an annoyed huff and merely turned to face the opposite wall.

Okay…this was going to get old real fast…

"Desiree, I _command_ you to look at me," he said firmly, watching as the genie's shoulders went completely rigid. He hated pulling out the 'Master' card, but if his ghostly companion was going to ignore him and act like a spoiled child, then he didn't really have much of a choice.

Slowly, the emerald-skinned Spirit turned to face him. Her annoyed expression had been replaced with a look of hesitance, and Ichigo could tell that she was actually afraid that she'd managed to incur his ire.

Letting out a sigh, the orange-head took a step forward into her personal space and looked her directly in the eye. "Now, _tell_ me what is wrong."

Desiree bit her lip. "I…well…that is to say…"

"I'm listening."

Sighing in resignation, the ruby-eyed genie finally met her Master's eye. "I suppose…well…I suppose that witnessing you and your employer locked in a display of utter passion last night has left me somewhat longing for my humanity again. It has been a considerable number of centuries since I was last able to do something as simple as eat a piece of fresh fruit or feel the sand between my toes. And of course, I am somewhat envious of the fact that you are able to partake in the pleasures of the flesh while I am forced to do nothing but listen."

Ichigo reddened, promoting the Spirit to chuckle mischievously.

"So, you just miss being human?" the orange-head asked.

Desiree shrugged slightly. "You might say so; but make no mistake, I am well aware of the fact that my time among the living came to an end long ago. There is no place left among the masses for an ancient relic such as myself anymore…"

Ichigo frowned.

He hadn't ever really given too much thought to Desiree's rather unique circumstances. Everyone in Soul Society, be they normal citizen or a member of the Gotei Thirteen, were still able to do very human activities such as eating and sleeping. Desiree, on the other hand, was unlike any kind of spirit he had ever encountered; her soul did not travel to the Soul Society upon her death, nor did she transform into a Hollow.

She was truly one of a kind…alone in the world with no one like herself with whom to spend her eternity…

"How about this," the former Substitute spoke up, once again drawing his companion's attention, "once we leave, I'll use my first wish to make you human for a full twenty-four hours."

Desiree went deathly still, and her ruby-red eyes slowly widened to such a degree that Ichigo genuinely feared they would pop right out of her head.

"There is no need for you to do that, Little Master…" she whispered quietly. "I would not want you to waste a wish on something as trivial as that."

Ichigo frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "I don't think it's trivial at all; I once spoke with an old friend a few years ago, and he told me something I doubt I'll ever forget. 'Never take the small things in life for granted, otherwise you'll miss them even more once you lose them…'"

Desiree's eyes widened even more, before ectoplasmic moisture began to collect in her eyes, and her lower lip started to quiver against her will. "Little Master…I…"

Unfortunately, whatever she was going to say was cut off when Ikumi finally entered the room, her hair slightly damp and a hand towel hanging loosely over her shoulders. "Who you talking to?" she grinned, turning to Ichigo, while completely oblivious to the presence of the green genie floating barely three feet away.

"Uh…my dad," the orange-head quickly replied. "I thought I'd call him and let him know where I was last night. If I know him like I think I do, he's probably got a damn search party roving over the entire city."

Ikumi laughed, stepping forward and standing on the tips of her toes to plant a quick kiss on the younger man's cheek. "I wouldn't fault him for that…it's a parent's job to be overbearing and protective when it comes to their kids. Trust me, I would know."

Ichigo smiled slightly, resting his chin on the top of his new…err… _girlfriend's_ hair. Should he call her his girlfriend? The older woman was still technically his boss, which made thinking of her as both his significant other _and_ employer a bit weird.

Seemingly sensing the young man's internal distress, Ikumi slowly pulled away and reached up to ruffle his hair. "Don't think too hard on it, okay kid? I'm still your boss, and you'll continue to work for me just like you always have. Now though, I hope I can give you a bit more _incentive_ to come in to work on time." As she said this, the dark-haired woman grinned roguishly and pressed her arms together, which of course had the effect of pushing her breasts forward.

Ichigo blushed slightly, and despite the fact that he'd been quite handsy the previous evening, he coughed awkwardly and looked off to the side. "Y-Yeah…sure…"

Laughing, Ikumi pinched her young partner's cheek before turning and heading into the kitchen. "Good boy. Now, I hate to be like this, but you should probably go ahead and get going. Kaoru will be here any second, and I doubt either of us wants to deal with the questions he'll ask if he sees you here this early."

The former Substitute crumbled and rubbed his cheek. "Yeah, I wouldn't want him to hate me even _more."_

The older woman paused, her face taking on a very… _complicated_ expression. "He…Kaoru doesn't _hate_ you, you know. It's just…when he was old enough to start asking questions about why all of his classmates had fathers and he didn't, I tried to explain the situation to him as delicately as I possibly could. Let's just say…he has issues trusting adult men now, especially if they're close to me…"

Ichigo's expression softened. "So, he's just trying to look out for his mom?"

Ikumi turned to glance at him over her shoulder. "Yeah…and while I appreciate it and love him for it, that attitude has made putting myself back out there a bit difficult. No man wants to deal a child who actively tries to chase them away."

Desiree chuckled, but of course only Ichigo heard it.

"Piece of advice, Little Master?" the genie offered, folding her arms underneath her bust. "It appears as though if you want to fully capture this woman's heart, then you must be willing to act as understanding towards her child as you can."

The orange-head paled significantly.

Despite Ikumi's insistence that Kaoru didn't hate him with every ounce of his being, Ichigo was inclined to think otherwise. Every time he was at Unagiya Shop and Kaoru was home from school, the little terror would literally go out of his way to make the former Substitute's job even harder…

A missing box here…

A misplaced label there…

One time, he'd even found his shoe stuck in the garbage disposal…

But of course, Desiree was right. While Ichigo knew for a fact that both of his parents loved him with every fiber of their being, Kaoru's father had skipped town right after he'd learned that Ikumi was pregnant.

At least, that's what she'd told him last night…

If he wanted to make this thing between them work in the end, then he needed to somehow get a ten-year-old boy with fatherly abandonment issues to like him…and didn't _that_ sound like a fun adventure?

Letting out a sigh of resignation, Ichigo turned and slowly headed towards the front door. "Alright, I'll get out of your hair for now; just call me if you need anything."

Ikumi snorted. "Ichigo, I've had certain _needs_ that have been left unattended for nearly a decade…are you offering to sate them?"

Desiree howled with laughter as her Master's face was illuminated by an atomic blush.

"You know what I meant!" he barked, ignoring his boss' satisfied smirk as he quickly opened the door and hustled down the stairs to the street. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, the orange-head stalked down the sidewalk towards his house, finding relief in the cool air that assaulted his face.

"My, my…you certainly are a peculiar individual," Desiree tittered in amusement. "Last night, your hands appeared to have a mind of their own as they caressed every inch of your employer's body. Yet now, you are once again as easily flustered as a virgin schoolgirl."

"Shut up," Ichigo growled halfheartedly, his left brow twitching in irritation. "Weren't we going to do something about your problem?"

The genie's amusement quickly melted away into surprise. "I thought you were simply jesting…"

The former Substitute frowned, pausing in his stride to properly face his companion. "You thought I was just teasing you about giving you what you dreamed of? Do you really think so little of me?"

Desiree's eyes widened. "N-No, of course not! I think the _world_ of you, Little Master; it's just…I suppose I thought it too good to be true. Do you truly intend to restore my humanity?"

Ichigo nodded. "For a full day in the very least. Somehow, I doubt our bond would allow anything longer than that, if what you've told me about it is true."

"That is understandable," the green Spirit accepted. "Do you have any time in particular you wish to make this wish?"

"Eager, huh?"

"A little…"

Smiling softly as his companion fidgeted excitedly in midair, Ichigo shrugged. "I guess now is as good a time as any, right?"

Desiree literally squealed.

Clearing his throat, the orange-head looked her directly in the eyes. "Desiree, I wish for you to be returned to human form for approximately twenty-four hours."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, the genie crossed her arms over her breasts and nodded once. "So you have wished it, and so it shall be…"

A column of green smoke engulfed Desiree's form, and Ichigo was forced to cover his face with his arms to block the whipping winds that blew in every direction. Nearby trees shook, as did a few power lines. At least one car further down the street even starting blaring its alarm.

As the winds died down, Ichigo slowly brought his arms away from his face and attempted to peer through the emerald haze. A distinctly humanoid shape was finally outlined in the center of the smoke, and as the final remnants of the genie's magic faded, the orange-head finally caught his first glimpse of Desiree's human form.

And once he did, his mouth fell open.

When he'd first met her, Ichigo was immediately aware that Desiree was easily one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, right up there with the likes of Yoruichi, Rangiku, and Nelliel. As such, he had never given thought to the idea that she could ever be more beautiful than she had already been in her Spiritual form.

Boy was he ever wrong…

Where her skin had once been a deep emerald hue, it was now an exotic dark brown, reminiscent of someone from the Mediterranean or Middle East. Her hair was still a midnight shade of black, and it fell across her back and shoulders like a cascading waterfall of pure ebony silk. Her eyes, previously ruby-red, were now light green, like pools of liquid gemstones the seemed almost hypnotic.

There was also one more thing that Ichigo realized…she was completely naked.

"W-What the fuck?!" he shrieked.

Desiree simply raised her hands and regarded them curiously, an ecstatic smile stretched across her face. "Ahhh, it has been so long since I have had the pleasure of feeling the wind kiss my skin and tousle my hair." Looking up to thank her Master, the former genie frowned once she noticed his abhorred expression. "What troubles you, Ichigo?"

"What do you think?!" he asked, slapping a hand over his eyes. "You're completely goddamn naked!"

The ebony-skinned woman looked down at herself, as if just realizing this fact. "Hmm, so I am. My garments as a Spirit were purely ectoplasmic manifestations of the attire was familiar with wearing when I was still alive…I suppose that once my magic disappeared, they did as well."

A mischievous gleam suddenly flashed through Desiree's eyes, and she hefted her large breasts up in her palms. "My word, it has certainly been quite some time since I have felt the effect these have on my back. They're so firm…so heavy…wouldn't you say, Little Master?"

Ichigo whimpered.

The dark-haired woman grinned predatorily, and attempted to take a step forward. However, after centuries of becoming accustomed to floating around wherever she pleased, she was unprepared when her sense of balance was sent completely out of commission. Letting out a cry of surprise, her knees buckled, and she toppled towards the concrete.

Fortunately for her, she was scooped into a pair of strong arms before she could hit the ground.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo asked, concern filling his tone.

Desiree flushed slightly, rather impressed with the way her Master had managed to overcome his embarrassment in favor of rushing to her aid. "Y-Yes…I am well, but it has been quite some time since I have had to support my own weight. I doubt I will be able to walk confidently for a while."

Kneeling into a crouch, Ichigo gently set his companion on the ground before taking off his jacket and draping it around her torso. After doing so, he picked her up once again and began walking down the street. "That's fine, but we seriously need to get you some clothes."

"I am content with wearing this," the former genie offered, picking at the sleeve of the orange-head's jacket.

Ichigo scowled. "I'm not…I don't want some pervert trying to catch an eyeful."

Desiree felt her heart thud at the unexpected possessiveness that filled the former Substitute's tone. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she rested her head against his shoulder and allowed him to carry her to whatever destination he had in mind.

"As you say, Little Master…"

* * *

After a few minutes if walking down the back alleys and side streets of Karakura Town, Ichigo and Desiree finally arrived at the clothing store the orange-head had been heading towards.

From what Ichigo understood, REVOCS was currently the rave concerning all things fashion, and almost all of the girls from his school possessed at least a few articles of clothing from the well-known store. Hell, even Karin had a pair of jeans from this place, and she _hated_ the mere thought of being associated with anything remotely girly.

Pushing through the front door of the moderately-sized shop, the former Substitute quickly carried his ebony companion back towards the dressing rooms. Thankfully finding one that was unoccupied, he set her down on the bench inside. "Wait here," he instructed, "I'm gonna try and find someone who can help us."

"Very well, but please do not take too long," Desiree conceded.

Nodding once, Ichigo closed the dressing room door and walked back out into the main area of the store. Rows upon rows of pants, shirts, blouses, jackets, and various other articles of clothing lined the hangers and shelves, some of which looked expensive enough to put him into poverty.

The orange-head silently prayed that Desiree would settle for something moderately simple…

"Hello there, is there something I can help you with sir?" a voice suddenly spoke up from behind him, nearly giving him a heart attack.

Turning around, Ichigo came face-to-face with a relatively short woman with dark skin and vibrant purple hair. She wore a sharp white suit, which contrasted rather curiously with her complexion. And, to top it all off, a pair of tinted aviator shades sat comfortably on her nose.

Hmm…weird…

"Uh, hey," Ichigo replied. "Yeah, my friend had a bit of an accident with her clothes, and I just wanted to try and get her a new pair. Ya know, to keep weirdoes from staring at her."

The woman cocked a brow, but otherwise did not question his story. "How noble of you, sir. Do you have any idea what your friend's measurements are?"

"Her what?"

"I see…it appears we will have to this the hard way then," she sighed. "Nui!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, a young girl in a frilly pink dress suddenly appeared right next to the dark-skinned woman.

This time, Ichigo actually did let out a shriek.

"Golly, you sure are easy to scare mister!" The blonde, apparently named Nui, giggled before turning to her coworker. "What's up Rei; how's my favorite stick in the mud doing today?"

Rei sighed and sent the younger woman a sharp glare. "We don't have any time for your nonsense right now, Nui. There is a woman in the back of the store who requires some measurements. Go and see what size she needs, will you?"

"Sure thing!" the chipper girl replied, offering a salute before appearing to disappear once again into thin air.

Ichigo blinked. "How did she…?"

Rei sighed, reaching up with one hand to massage her temples. "I find it easiest to not try to understand that girl."

The orange-head merely nodded, sinking down into the nearest chair he could find. A few minutes later, Nui reappeared once again, shaking her head in an utterly distraught fashion.

"How terrible!" She cried, clutching her hands to her chest. "The poor lady says she has no idea what the current state of fashion is! A woman should never be forced to go through her life without staying up to date on what's trendy!"

She suddenly turned to Ichigo, glaring at him with her one good eye. "Honestly, you should be ashamed for keeping your girlfriend in the dark for so long!" she huffed, puffing out her cheeks in irritation.

The former Substitute choked on air. "S-She's not my-"

"Oh well!" Nui shrugged, her attitude doing a complete flip. "At least now I get to introduce another lost soul to the wonderful world of fashion! Your lady-friend would look absolutely delicious in this new line of lingerie our designers just came out with!"

"L-Lingerie?!" Ichigo cried.

"Mhm! Thigh-high stockings attached to a frilly garter belt over a barely-there thong!" The blonde girl described animatedly, completely oblivious to the fact that the young man in the room was slowly turning a deathly pale shade of white. "The brassiere also turns sheer when the body heats up, making for some truly fun times in the bedroom. Of course, color is a big deal when deciding what would look best on each individual woman…hmmm, I think purple would go really well with your girlfriend's skin tone, don't you?"

"I think you broke him…" Rei mused, gesturing to the almost catatonic form of Ichigo as he slumped in the chair.

"Gee," Nui giggled, completely unapologetic. "Some guys just can't handle it I guess."

"Indeed," Rei nodded, before going into business-mode once more. "Now then, since you have rendered this young man inoperable for what I'm going to assume will be at least several minutes, it looks like it will be up to the two of us alone to provide his companion with a set of new clothing. Let's get to work."

"Aye-Aye Captain!" the younger blonde cheered excitedly.

* * *

"Are you quite certain this outfit is practical?" Desiree questioned, looking over herself in the mirror. "I need only something that will serve its most basic purpose…."

"Nonsense!" Nui argued, handing the dark-skinned woman a black leather jacket. "A woman should always have something that can function in more than one situation. You need to look good, as well as knock the socks off of your boyfriend out there! This ensemble will keep you warm in the winter, while serving the dual function of warming _him_ up when it's time to churn the butter."

"Churn the butter? Would it not be unwise to cook in such an outfit?" Desiree frowned in confusion.

Nui blinked several times before bursting out laughing. "Golly lady, you're a riot! Funny, sexy, well-built…it's no wonder your boyfriend snatched you up before anyone else could."

"My what?"

"You know, your _boyfriend_? He is your boyfriend, right?"

The former genie paused in a moment of thought. The pattern of speech in the modern world had changed significantly since her time on Earth, and as such there had been many times in the past few days when she had been left wondering what something had meant. However, the term _boyfriend_ seemed fairly straightforward; Ichigo was a male, and the two of them were indeed friends. Therefore, did that not make him her boyfriend?

"Yes, indeed!" Desiree declared proudly, smiling confidently at her reflection in the mirror. "Ichigo is most certainly my boyfriend, as am I his girlfriend!"

Nui giggled, clapping excitedly. "That's the spirit!" she cheered, before moving forward alongside the older woman to inspect her attire in the mirror. "So, what do ya think?"

Currently, Desiree was clad in a deep purple blouse, which in turn was covered by a pristine black leather jacket. Her long legs were adorned in a pair of slightly torn blue jeans, and a brown belt with a silver buckle was wrapped around her slim waist. A pair of brown, calf-high boots concealed her feet, and the entire ensemble was completed by several gold hoops that hung from each of her wrists. And, of course, Nui had made sure to convince her to include the lingerie set she had mentioned earlier…

"It is wonderful Nui!" the dark-skinned woman nodded in satisfaction. "I am most grateful for your assistance in this matter. Do you think Ichigo will be pleased?"

The younger blonde snorted. "Oh please, he'd have to be the most idiotic man on Earth to even think about taking his eyes off of you while you're wearing this. I bet he'd be even more appreciative of it if you took it off, though."

Desiree hummed thoughtfully. "I shall keep your words of wisdom in mind, then."

Nui smiled, patting the older woman on the back. "Alrighty then, let's go show your man your new and improved wardrobe!"

"Right then, onward!" the former genie declared, snatching up Ichigo's jacket before marching confidently out of the dressing room and back into the main sales floor, with her fashionista companion in tow.

Her head swiveling in several directions, Desiree's eyes finally locked on her orange-haired Master, and she quickly rushed over to show him her current attire. "Ichigo!"

The former Substitute slowly looked up, having been staring at the ground to avoid all of the curious stares from the other women in the store. Once his eyes finally landed on Desiree, they comically widened to the size of dinner plates. "Holy shit…"

"So, does my state of dress please you?" the ebony woman smiled, striking a somewhat seductive pose.

Ichigo subtly looked at the other patrons of the store, all of whom were watching the scene with various stares of envy, fondness, and even downright lust. He quickly turned back to his anxiously waiting companion. "Yeah, you look beautiful."

Whatever response Desiree had been expecting, _that_ certainly hadn't been it. She flushed slightly, and straightened her posture. "Ah…thank you."

"Excellent," Rei smiled in satisfaction, before looking down at Ichigo. "Now then, let's discuss your payment."

The former Substitute let out a truly pathetic whine.

* * *

Shopping for women had to be the most financially draining thing he could imagine…

The money he'd spent at REVOCS had been worth four weeks of paychecks from Ikumi, but in the end, he supposed it was worth it. Aside from the fact that Desiree had desperately needed something to wear, she also appeared quite thrilled with her new wardrobe. And of course, the smile on her face made it all but impossible for Ichigo to remain in a foul mood for very long.

Currently, the ebony-skinned woman had her arm hooked through her Master's, excitedly pulling him down one of the main streets of Karakura Town. It blew the young man's mind that she was completely oblivious to all of the incredulous and longing looks she was receiving from nearly everyone they passed on the sidewalk, and Ichigo had already been forced to send _several_ fierce glares in the directions of multiple young men whose eyes had traveled where they shouldn't.

"Ah, isn't it wonderful Ichigo?" Desiree sighed blissfully, pausing briefly to close her eyes. "The sights…the smells…the mere _sensations_? Oh, how I have missed being human!"

The orange-head smiled at her enthusiasm. "Yeah, I guess it is pretty great."

"Indeed, it is!" the former genie cheered, pressing herself closely against her Master, who in turn blushed furiously when his arm was caught in the valley of her breasts. "Let us commence with merrymaking! There is much I wish to do before the day is done!"

Opening his mouth to reply, Ichigo never got the chance when he was suddenly pulled forward as Desiree continued with her march. "Woah there, take it easy. We still have plenty of time before your day is up," he chided her slightly.

"That may be, but I do not wish to waste a single second!" she responded, not even bothering to face him. Suddenly, her head snapped to the side, and she charged forward, dragging Ichigo along carelessly. The duo quickly came to a stop outside of a café window, where an assortment of baked goods was displayed in glass cases for potential customers to see.

"They look soooooo delicious!" Desiree moaned, pressing her face right up against the glass. "It has been so long since I have had the pleasure of partaking in food and drink…"

Ichigo looked to the side, where several people were pointing curiously at the fully-grown foreign woman who was all but slobbering on the window of a respectable eating establishment. Sending them a scowl, he turned back to his enthusiastic companion. "You wanna go in and buy something?"

The former genie tensed briefly, before whirling around and all but flinging herself at her Master, her eyes sparkling. " _Yesssss_ ," she moaned once again, the sound sounding uncomfortably sensual.

Flushing lightly, Ichigo pried the dark-haired woman off before steering her in the direction of the café's front door. A bell chimed as they entered, and Desiree's eyes darted around as her senses were nearly overloaded by the sights, sounds, and smells of the small shop.

Her orange-haired companion couldn't keep himself from smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Ichigo, is that you?"

The former Substitute froze at the familiar voice, before turning to glance at a table situated against the far wall of the building. Chad, Uryu, Orihime, and Tatsuki were all looking at him in obvious surprise, and even Chizuru, Mizuiro, and Keigo were there.

The majority of his friends were staring at him alone, but Orihime's eyes were firmly locked on Desiree, who herself came up behind Ichigo and draped her arms over his shoulders.

"Ichiiiiiigo…" the dark-skinned woman whined. "Come on, I'm so huuuuungry!"

When he failed to immediately respond, she frowned for a moment, before finally noticing the collection of teenagers staring at both herself and her Master. Narrowing her eyes marginally, she immediately recognized three of them from Ichigo's classroom the other day, as well as the short-haired girl from their walk to school. The remaining three, however, were a mystery.

"Ah, who are all of you, then?" she spoke up, feigning ignorance.

Blinking several times as he finally overcame his surprise, Uryu was the first to respond. "W-Well, my name is Uryu Ishida. This is Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, Chizuru, Mizuiro, and Keigo…we're all Ichigo's friends from school. Who might you be?"

Internally sneering, Desiree couldn't help but reflect on the irony of the fact that these children still considered themselves Ichigo's friends, yet none of them had apparently made any attempt to contact him regarding this little get-together. Her emerald eyes snapped over to the orange-haired girl, Orihime if she recalled correctly, and immediately noticed that the young woman's eyes were glued to the point where she was draped over her Master.

Grinning predatorily, the former genie tightened her grip on the orange-head, pressing her cheek against his own and squishing her breasts against his back. She couldn't help but smirk in pleasure when the orange-haired girl winced.

"Charmed to meet you all…I am Desiree. Ichigo's _girlfriend_."

* * *

 **Oof.**

 **Desiree finally shows her vindictive side and gets a teensy bit possessive. If you are wondering why she actively encouraged Ichigo to pursue Ikumi, while at the same time showcased her closeness with him directly in front of Orihime, it is due to the fact that she is aware that Ichigo's friends have been spending far less time with him since he lost his powers. She feels pity for him in that respect, since she herself knows what it feels like to be abandoned by those close to you.**

 **Now, it might seem like I have it out for Orihime, but I will go ahead and assure you that this is most certainly not the case. I love her as a character, and I would never wish anything bad upon her, but the Ichihime relationship has been stretched to the absolute limit when it comes to fanfics.**

 **In my personal opinion, fanfiction is where you can come up with something that you are well aware would never occur in canon. Therefore, I find it a bit tiresome that** _ **soooooo**_ **many people write strictly Ichihime fics. Of course, Ichiruki is far more popular statistically, but it too is also something that has been done time and time again. That is why I will never write an Ichihime or Ichiruki story, unless I feel particularly generous and someone I like has issued a request.**

 **That aside, I received a review stating how it would be incredibly unlikely that the relationship between Ichigo and Ikumi would work out, since she would obviously choose Kaoru over Ichigo if it came down to hit. This is definitely true, but like Desiree said early in this chapter, Ichigo will be forced to gain Kaoru's trust. He might be able too, but he also might not; only time will tell.**

 **Once again, I am very sorry that this chapter came out so late. I had planned to update this story** _ **several**_ **weeks ago, but studying for finals became a much higher priority than writing fanfiction. Then, after the semester ended, my numerous nights of staying up too late finally caught up with me, as did my repressed stress, and I think I had a miniature panic attack…**

 **I'm feeling much better now, though, and I plan on writing as much as I can during the winter break before school starts back up again. I will be updating the Professor Kurosaki Rewrite next, and then I hope to finally get back to The Song of Our Nature, which I was also forced to neglect in favor of schoolwork.**

 **I want to thank everyone for their patience, and I will see you all next time. Will Desiree's possessive and devious sides win out, or will everyone be able to get along?**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: A Friend Like Me

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **After receiving a message that was fully explained within the Author's Notes from last chapter, I will go ahead and state the obvious fact that it is incredibly important to read those. It's where I provide information regarding my decisions for the story. I will repeat…**

 **READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES!**

 **I find it more than a little irritating when someone asks me a question that I already explicitly answered.**

 **That aside, I'm glad that all of you still seem to be enjoying this story so thoroughly. To be quite honest, I never expected this to be given much of a chance by most people. Personally, whenever I see a crossover involving** _ **Danny Phantom,**_ **my immediate thoughts are: "Oh great another typical convoluted mess that will make absolutely no sense…"**

 **I think new authors to fanfiction don't realize that some series will mesh more fluidly with one another than others. For example, if you wanted to create something like a** _ **Bleach**_ **and** _ **Fairy Tail**_ **crossover, then it would be easier to do so since they are both anime. On the other hand, if you wanted to do something like….oh I don't know…a** _ **Bleach**_ **and** _ **My Little Pony**_ **crossover, you would have to put more thought into how to properly mold those two series together due to how different they are.**

 **It can be done, but its bit difficult.**

 _ **Danny Phantom**_ **is pretty much a go-to series that a lot of inexperienced authors use when it comes to crossovers, yet they rarely take the time to make it flow believably with the other series they are attempting to combine it with.** _ **Naruto**_ **is another such series, which people use far too often and in a fashion that is often executed poorly.**

 **I don't know if you guys get what I mean, but all in all I would just like to thank you for taking the tine to give** _ **Desires of the Heart**_ **a chance.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

The silence that followed Desiree's proclamation was near deafening.

Ichigo felt ice run through his veins as every single person within earshot subtly turned to listen in on the situation. And why wouldn't they? An absolutely drop-dead gorgeous woman had just boisterously claimed that the young man she was hanging off of was her boyfriend.

As for the collection of teenagers gathered at the table, they reacted just as one might expect.

Keigo's mouth had fallen open as soon as Desiree had finished speaking.

Mizuiro's eyes were wide, as were Chad's, but both of them refrained from showing any greater surprise.

Uryu was gaping like a fish; seemly shocked into absolute silence.

Orihime, oddly enough, looked as if she were about to burst into tears.

Chizuru's gaze had yet to venture from Desiree's rather prominent bust, and Ichigo honestly wouldn't have been surprised if the redhead hadn't heard a single thing that had been said since the two of them had approached.

As the minutes continued to tick by at a snail's pace, it was Tatsuki who finally broke the extremely awkward silence. The dark-haired girl shot up from her chair, which in turn sent the piece of furniture clattering loudly to the wooden floor. Slamming her palms against the table, and nearly inadvertently spilling everyone's drinks, she leaned forward towards the unlikely pair as best as the space between them would allow.

"YOU'RE HIS _WHAT?!"_

Wincing slightly at the unnecessary volume, Ichigo ignored his longtime friend's outburst and cast a glance at Desiree out of the corner of his eye. "Do you even know what the word 'boyfriend' means?"

The former genie cocked a brow and turned slightly to face him. Their cheeks were still pressed firmly against one another, causing a bit of heat to creep into the orange-head's cheeks. Desiree's skin was very smooth…

"You are a man, are you not?" the ebony woman questioned rhetorically, as if stating the most obvious thing in the world. "You are also my closest friend. Does that not indeed make you my boyfriend?"

"No…it does not," Ichigo sighed, unable to care about the _numerous_ eyes glued to their exchange. "A boyfriend is a person's regular male companion with whom they have a romantic or sexual relationship. Normally, when two people are courting, the male individual involved in the relationship is referred to as the boyfriend, while the woman is called the girlfriend. If a boyfriend and girlfriend decide they want to spend the rest of their lives together, then they can get married. That being said, sometimes same-sex couples do occur. You should already know about that, though."

Desiree's brow furrowed slightly, and a gleam of understanding shone in her eyes. "Ah, I see…so then, in modern terms, Ahmanet would have been my 'girlfriend'?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Well then, I apologize for the confusion; I am still getting used to all of the changes in linguistics from those of my homeland. I suppose that means that you are not, in fact, my boyfriend."

A happy squeak suddenly caught the attention of everyone listening in on the conversation, and within a matter of seconds, all eyes had turned to focus solely on Orihime.

The orange-haired girl's eyes widened, and her face slowly changed to a shade of red that would have put any prized tomato to absolute shame. "A-Ah…I'm sorry!" she stammered, gaze snapping down to her lap. "I…uh…have the hiccups…"

"Don't you ignore me!" Tatsuki screeched again, bringing the focus of the conversation back to her. "Who the hell is this chick? Where the heck did you meet her?!"

Ichigo scowled. "Desiree already introduced herself; and that's none of your business."

Blinking in surprise at her old friend's biting tone, Tatsuki quickly regained herself and prepared to deliver a scathing retort. Fortunately, before any major argument could ensue, Uryu saw fit to intervene.

"We've been trying to contact you over the weekend Ichigo," the bespectacled young man spoke up. "Where have you been?"

"Like I said, its none of your business."

"Would you like to sit down?" Chad offered, motioning towards a pair of nearby empty chairs.

Another frown slowly made its way across Ichigo's face. On one hand, he was still fairly sore over the fact that his so-called friends only made an active effort to try and interact with him when they thought something interesting was going on in his life. That being said, they were still his friends, and as such he supposed sitting down for a quick bite to eat couldn't hurt.

"Sure," he finally nodded, before grabbing Desiree by the hand. "Let me just get Desiree something to eat first, and we'll be over in a minute."

Chad nodded in acceptance, while the rest of the table had varying other reactions.

Tatsuki looked like she wanted to say something else, and only appeared to restrain herself for the sake of Orihime.

Keigo, Mizuiro, and Chizuru were all still staring at Desiree in absolute adoration, even though the ebony woman herself still had yet to even bat an eye in their direction.

She was more than content with her current companion.

As Ichigo led her away from the table and back over towards the sales counter, she hooked an arm though one of his own and raised a questioning eyebrow. "I do not understand…are these not the very same people who have been actively ignoring you ever since the loss of your powers? Why would you reward their betrayal by humoring their request?"

The orange-head sighed tiredly. "It's a bit more complicated than that…I'm still royally pissed with all of them, don't get me wrong, but they're still my friends. I'll give them what they want while you eat your lunch, and then we'll carry on with our day."

Desiree tittered in amusement. "How noble of you, Little Master. To think that you would take the high road and fill the role of the better man. Truly, I am in honorable hands…"

As she made her final remark, the former genie slowly trailed a finger along her Master's exposed skin. Ichigo shivered involuntarily, and goosebumps quickly spread across his arm. Grumbling under his breath and ignoring his giggling companion, the orange-head guided her up to the counter and gestured towards the glass case full of delectable treats. "Alright then, take your pick. Maybe having some food in front of you will give you something better to do aside from teasing me."

The dark-skinned woman's eyes lit up immediately, and she all but flung herself against the glass. Eyes darting back and forth, Desiree let out a sound mixed between a whine and a moan.

"It all looks so delicious…how am I meant to choose only one?!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes, and his attention was quickly caught by the sales clerk behind the corner. The older man was quite obviously attempting to hide his amusement concerning Desiree's enthusiasm, and he offered the orange-head a knowing smile.

"Your girlfriend sure is a lively one, young man. If I might make a suggestion, though, I'd say our chocolate pie is undoubtedly our most requested dessert."

Opening his mouth to once again refute the idea that Desiree was his girlfriend, Ichigo was unfortunately cut off when the woman herself snapped back up into an upright position, giving the man behind the counter her full attention.

"Chocolate pie, you say?" the former genie hummed. "Very well, I shall accept your words of wisdom and purchase said confection! Ichigo, give this man your money!"

"Yes, your majesty…" the former Substitute muttered sarcastically as he fished into his pocket and withdrew his wallet. After their earlier shopping spree at REVOCS, he had been left with very little cash, but thankfully he still had enough to pay for his companion's treat.

The kindly sales clerk cut a decently-sized piece of pie from the rest of the dessert, before carefully settling said piece into a modest little container for easier transport. Grabbing a small metal fork from a nearby drawer, he then reached across the counter and deposited the anxious woman's purchase into her eagerly waiting arms.

"There you go dear, and I hope you both come back and see us again."

Desiree wasn't even paying attention anymore, as she was already attempting to open the blasted container keeping her heavenly prize prisoner. She very nearly tore apart the plastic box with her bare hands, and was only stopped when Ichigo laid one of his hands over both of her own.

"Calm down," he admonished gently. "Just wait until we get back over to the table. And don't forget to use your fork."

The emerald-eyed beauty huffed irritably. "Very well…"

With Desiree's new treat in hand, the duo walked back across the café to the table where everyone else was waiting. Ichigo pulled out her chair for her, which earned several shared looks of curiosity between his friends. The former genie herself simply smiled pleasantly, and offered him a smile small in thanks before quite literally tearing into her container and extracting the piece of pie held within.

Slowly, she cut off a small piece of the chocolatey treasure, before slowly bringing the fork to her mouth. Everyone else at the table looked on with strangely bated breath as Desiree carefully nibbled on the piece of pie with her eyes closed in complete transfixion. A moment later, her emerald orbs shot open, and she began to wiggle around wildly in her seat while letting out a _clearly_ enthusiastic sound of approval.

"It's soooooooooo delicious!" she squealed happily. The action was, at least in Ichigo's opinion, adorably out of character for the typically sultry and collected woman.

Pulling out a chair of his own, the orange-head seated himself directly between Keigo and Desiree. He certainly hadn't been blind to the way his schoolmate had been unabashedly staring at his companion's breasts, but in truth, Keigo wasn't the only guilty one at the table. Both Mizuiro and Chizuru had also done their fair share of stealing glances at the voluptuous woman's body, and they undoubtedly thought their actions had been far sneakier than they actually were.

However, as he'd guessed, their staring ceased the moment he sat down.

Good.

"Is it as good as you hoped?" the orange-head asked wryly, turning slightly towards his supernatural acquaintance.

Desiree let out another happy moan. "It's so incredible, Ichigo! We never had anything like this back in my home; how could you keep such a wonderful thing secret from me for so long?!"

Ichigo chuckled lightly at her response. "I'll take that as a yes, then."

As the former genie continued to slowly savor each bite of her snack, an awkward silence settled over then table. Keigo and Mizuiro shared an uncomfortable glance, while Orihime started to fidget nervously in her seat. Event Chad, the normally stoic giant that he was, coughed awkwardly in an attempt to break the mood.

It was extremely clear that Ichigo was in no hurry to initiate any form of conversation with anyone aside from the buxom woman at his side.

"So…Desiree," Uryu finally spoke up. "How did you and Ichigo meet? I cannot say that I've seen you around Karakura Town before."

"Oh, well that's because I am originally from overseas," the dark-skinned woman replied easily, not even bothering to look up from her food. Everyone seemed to accept the explanation easily enough, but that all changed when she continued speaking. "As for how the two of us met, he fished me out of a river."

"He _WHAT?!"_ Tatsuki screeched.

Ichigo desperately wanted to slam his forehead into the table until he fell unconscious…

Before Desiree could continue with her story, he quickly cut in so as to avoid any more suspicion. "Uh yeah, apparently she fell in close to the bridge and was washed a bit downstream. I saw her on my way home from school and dove in to help her; isn't that right _Desiree?"_

The former genie's eyes narrowed in a brief spell of confusion, before understanding finally flashed through them. "A-Ah, yes…that is indeed what happened," she replied, taking a brief pause from munching on her piece of pie. "I had injured my leg earlier in the day, which prevented me from swimming properly to reach the shore. Ichigo was _so_ chivalrous in diving in to rescue me from what would have undoubtedly been a watery grave. He scooped me up into his arms, and held me close to his warm chest until I could receive proper medical attention. Such a hero, wouldn't you say?"

Okay, now she was laying it on a _bit_ too thickly…

Thankfully, though, his friends seemed to eat her story up. If anything, their acknowledgement of his already pre-established heroic nature made his emerald-eyed comrade's story more believable.

"I'm doing much better now, though," Desiree continued, turning back to her pie. "Ichigo stayed by my side until I was well enough to walk on my own. This morning I asked him to show me around the city. I am still unfamiliar with the area, and who better to give me a tour than my knight in shining armor?"

Orihime slumped lower into her seat.

"That's quite the story…" Uryu spoke carefully, sending a brief glance across the wooden table in Ichigo's direction. The orange-head merely returned his questioning gaze with a raised eyebrow.

Letting out a muffled sigh, the bespectacled young man shook his head. "In any case, I believe I can speak for everyone in saying that I'm glad you were not too severely injured. How long will you be staying in Karakura Town?"

The former genie hummed thoughtfully through a mouthful of chocolate. "I cannot say for certain…" she replied honestly. "I have a current obligation that I need to fulfill before leaving, and there is no way for me to determine how long that will take."

"Do you even have anywhere to stay?" Chizuru inquired curiously, having finally managed to gather the nerve to speak directly to the beautiful woman.

From Ichigo's right, Keigo perked up. "If you need a place to crash, then I'd definitely be happy to-"

"She's staying with me," Ichigo snapped.

Keigo wilted slightly at the orange-head's biting tone, and everyone else at the table reacted with various degrees of surprise. Orihime and Tatsuki shared a concerned look, while Uryu's eyes simply narrowed. Chad, despite remaining mostly silent, let out a grunt of disapproval.

Whether or not Ichigo had even been aware of it, his words had been absolutely _bathed_ in possessiveness.

And it seemed as though Desiree didn't mind at all…

If anything, her posture straightened slightly, and a small smile of satisfaction worked its way across her lips. After another minute of silence, the ebony-skinned woman elegantly placed her fork on her plate and wiped her mouth with the napkin she had been provided. "That was positively delicious," she smiled pleasantly, turning to address Ichigo. "Thank you for treating me to such a delicacy."

The orange-head's eyes softened, and his lips pulled up into a gentle smile. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself so much." Turning to the rest of his friends, his eyes regained their hardened edge. "Alright then, Desiree and I should probably get going; like she said, I promised to take her around town."

Tatsuki opened her mouth to protest, but she fell silent when Uryu placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes remained firmly locked on Ichigo, who in turn returned his glare with one of equal force.

"Very well, have fun," the Quincy said.

Offering Desiree a hand and helping her to her feet, Ichigo snorted. "We will."

As the duo made their way to the entrance and exited the café, Tatsuki whirled on her dark-haired friend. "Why the hell did you stop me?! He basically just blew us off!"

Uryu closed his eyes and let out an irritated sigh. "To be fair, he _did_ say that the two of them had already made previous plans for the day. That being said, I agree that there was most definitely something off about Ichigo's behavior. He seemed…angry."

Orihime fidgeted anxiously in her seat. "D-Do you think he hates us…?"

"Of course he doesn't!" Tatsuki barked incredulously. "He doesn't even have anything to be angry with us over!"

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Chad rumbled thoughtfully. "We haven't exactly spent very much time with him since he lost his Soul Reaper powers. Maybe he's upset about that."

"Why?" Tatsuki frowned. "We did that on purpose to give him time to adjust."

"Whatever the reason, it won't do any good to badger him over it," Uryu cut in again. "Knowing Ichigo, he'd only get even angrier with us if we asked him about it…"

* * *

"May I ask you something, Little Master?"

Ichigo's head swiveled slightly in Desiree's direction. Upon leaving the café, she had immediately linked her arm with his once again, and was presently leaning against his right shoulder. To any passersby on the street, they would have undoubtedly looked like any other young couple out for a walk.

"Yeah, go ahead," he replied.

"When your friend suggested that he house me…why did you respond so aggressively?" the former genie inquired. Her voice contained a mixture of curiosity, uncertainty, and dare he say… _excitement._

Swallowing the lump that had inexplicably formed in his throat, Ichigo glanced off to the side. "Well, I mean…Keigo kinda has a reputation for being a pervert. I take it that you noticed how he was staring at you?"

Desiree snorted. "I would have to have been a fool to miss the absolute lust in his eyes. The shorter boy and the red-haired girl were no better, I might add. However, your explanation does not quite answer my question…"

The orange-head growled slightly. "I've never been too fond of the idea of men drooling over women just because of their looks. Teenage guys always brag about how they plan on having sex with as many beautiful women as they can, and that concept has always disgusted me. It's like…like they consider them as nothing more than fucking trophies, or notches on their belt."

He turned to meet the dark-skinned woman's eyes. "Thinking about anyone, even Keigo, treating you as a goddamn _prize_ pisses me the hell off. After everything you've been through, you deserve someone who will treat you like a queen."

Desiree felt a tiny bit of heat creep into her cheeks. "And…would you know anyone who would be willing to do that…?"

Ichigo went deathly still, and even froze midway into taking another step down the sidewalk. A brief tremor wracked his body, but it was enough for the former genie to feel.

Seemingly breaking himself out of his trance, the orange-head shook his head and continued leading them forward. "No…I don't."

Against her will, Desiree felt something heavy settle in her chest. "Ah…I see. That is certainly unfortunate."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the duo as they continued with their trek, and Ichigo slowly began to feel as though he had said something terribly wrong. Whereas she had been bubbly and enthusiastic until a minute ago, his ebony companion now held her head down and refused to meet his increasingly worried eyes.

He needed to cheer her up.

Luckily, the universe seemed to be on his side for once, for as he looked off down an adjacent street, he saw something that would undoubtedly bring Desiree back into good spirits.

"Come on," he smiled, dragging her towards the sound of laughing children and mechanical gears turning. "I think it's about time you learned about carnivals."

* * *

"Are you _sure_ she's even here?"

"Of course I'm sure! The radar says her spectral energy trailed here all the way from America."

"That thing is a piece of junk…we've been searching for _hours."_

"Ladies, ladies; there's no need to fight amongst ourselves. We'll look for a few more hours, and if we don't find anything then we'll go home, alright?"

Ember McLain sneered irritably, her bright green eyes snapping back to the spectral radar grasped within her hands. She, Kitty, and Penelope had been traipsing along the streets of this dingy little Japanese town for the past four hours in an attempt to find the final member of their group.

Well, _technically,_ Desiree had never been part of the Sisterhood of Ghosts, but they certainly had reason to believe that she would accept their invitation in a heartbeat. The green-skinned genie hated men with a far more burning passion than any of them, and that was saying a lot since the entire point of their group was to show that female spirits could be just as powerful as the males. They each had reasons of their own to despise men, but Desiree loathed them with every fiber of her being.

If Ember recalled correctly, there had been one instance several years ago when she had vaporized a lesser male ghost for staring at her for too long…

She would indeed make a fine addition to the Sisterhood.

Unfortunately, the trail leading them to her had gone inexplicably cold earlier this morning. It was as if all but a tiny sliver of Desiree's spiritual energy had been erased from existence. She hadn't been exorcised, though. If that had been the case, then they would have undoubtedly seen a giant column of light beaming up into the sky.

"Grraah, I don't get it!" The blue-haired ghost shouted angrily, turning her head skyward and stomping her left boot furiously against the concrete. "Her last known location was only a few blocks away! Where the fuck is she?!"

"Calm down McLain…" Penelope Spectra sighed irritably, reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "She's here; we know that much for sure. It won't do any good to rage about it, so why don't you keep quiet and help us keep looking."

"Heh, heh…burn," Kitty grinned.

"Shut the fuck up!" Ember shouted, whirling around on her two companions. "I don't have to take shit from the likes of…"

The blue-skinned girl's sentence trailed off as her eyes looked past her friends and into the distance. Kitty and Spectra shared a concerned glance, before the younger of the two stepped forward and waved a hand in front of her friend's face.

"Yo, Ember! You alright?" the green-haired ghost asked.

Blinking several times, Ember inhaled a deep breath before excitedly pointing in the direction she had been staring. "Look! That chick looks just like Desiree!"

Penelope and Kitty turned to look to see if their friend's claim was true. Sure enough, there was a tall, dark-skinned woman with raven-black hair walking further down the street towards an amusement park. And, as Ember had said, aside from her skin tone, she was a dead ringer for Desiree.

However, she was walking hand-in-hand with an admittedly attractive orange-haired young man. This simple fact presented a rather obvious hole in the ghostly musician's theory.

Spectra frowned. "Desiree would never allow a man to get so close…let alone to touch her."

Kitty nodded in agreement. "Besides, that woman is a human. And, last time I checked, Des was very much a ghost."

They both turned back to Ember, but the blue-skinned young woman was already halfway down the street. "Come on!" she shouted, waving at her friends to hurry up and join her. "Let's check it out!"

Letting out simultaneous sighs, both women followed after her.

* * *

Alright, she would admit it.

Ichigo certainly knew how to cheer her up.

Sitting on a wooden bench with a stick of Ikayaki in one hand, and a large red stuffed dragon in the other, Desiree could confidently say that her mood had improved quite a bit in the past half hour. Almost as soon as she and her Master had entered the festival grounds, Ichigo had been quick to lead her to the seemingly never-ending rows of carnival booths lining the sidewalks. This had led to her winning her plush dragon, whom she had been quick to name Tanin.

Taking another bite out of her grilled snack, which Ichigo had told her was a sea creature known as a squid, Desiree let out a hum of contentment.

She had never thought to imagine that cuisine could be improved so much since her own lifetime on Earth! Swallowing the mouthful, the former genie felt a sudden chill run down her spine. Whirling around, she scanned the small line of trees directly behind her.

It was the strangest thing, but for a moment she'd felt like someone had been directly breathing down her neck

At the moment, Ichigo himself was washing up in the restroom, and she presumed that he would be back at any minute. Whenever that happened, she would make sure to convey her concern.

Suddenly, the bench bounced slightly under the addition of a new body. Smiling pleasantly, Desiree turned back to address her Master. "I was beginning to wonder what was taking you so…who are you?"

Her amiable tone turned cold as ice as her eyes took in the dark-haired young man who had decided to plop himself directly next to her on the bench. There was barely any room on the seat as it was, which of course caused their bodies to press up against each other tightly. Desiree's breath started to come out short, and her heart began to race wildly. "Get off of me!"

Attempting to rise from her seat, the dark-skinned woman bit back a scream when the man reached up and firmly grasped her left wrist.

"Hey, come on now…" he slurred, "I ain't gonna hurt ya, baby girl." A delirious smile was stretched across his face, and his breath absolutely reeked of sake. Ichigo had warned her that sometimes people came to festivals for the sole purpose of partaking in far more alcohol than they had any right to, and now she was beginning to understand his words of caution.

"Unhand me you bastard!" Desiree screamed, finally drawing the attention of more than a few people nearby.

The man's goofy expression morphed into one of anger, and he abruptly stood up and gripped her roughly by the shoulders. "Am I not good enough for you, slut? What's the point of dressing up all sexy like you are if you ain't looking for a good cock, huh?"

Tears began to gather in her eyes. The former genie _hated_ herself for this weakness. All she wanted to do was knock this heathen down onto the hard concrete, and slam her foot repeatedly on his testicles until there was nothing left but bloody paste. Unfortunately, the absolute _terror_ that came with being touched by any other man aside from her Master rendered her completely immobile. Closing her eyes, Desiree lowered her head and tried her best to block out her assailant's increased shouting.

Suddenly, and without warning, the grip on her shoulders was _torn_ free. A surprised shout sounded off, which was quickly followed by an ungodly howl of pain

Her eyes slowly cracked open…

The drunken man was writhing on the ground, clutching his right wrist. It had been utterly snapped in a completely unnatural angle. Standing over him, shoulders heaving in absolute fury, was none other than one Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Touch her again, and you won't get that hand back at all," the orange-head snarled ferociously. His voice, usually so kind and understanding, sounded like something more fit to come out of a wild animal.

Desiree's overwhelming fear was slowly replaced with absolute awe.

He…had protected her…

The dark-haired bastard let out another yowl of pain. "You son of a bitch, you broke my fucking hand!" he screamed. Shakily rising to his feet, the man reached into his jacket pocket with his remaining uninjured hand and withdrew a small knife.

Ichigo didn't looked impressed in the slightest.

Rushing forward, the injured man attempted to slash the orange-head across the chest. His attack was dodged with an almost pathetic amount of ease, before Ichigo cocked his right first back and slammed it into his aggressor's face.

Something cracked, and the drunken asshole fell to the concrete like a sack of rocks in an unconscious heap.

Ichigo kicked the knife into a nearby storm drain.

Silence permeated the area for several moments, before finally the onlookers nearby burst into applause. Several men walked over from their families and hauled the knocked out bastard up into a sitting position. Ignoring it all, the former Substitute turned to Desiree.

"Are you alright?" he asked; his voice a far cry from the furious tone he had used moments ago.

She nodded hesitantly. "Y-Yes…I am unharmed."

"That's not what I asked."

The former genie stilled. Against her will, she felt more tears begin to form in her eyes.

Ichigo must have noticed, for he slowly stepped into her personal space and opened his arms in invitation. "Come here."

Within an instant, Desiree launched herself into her Master's embrace. Burying her face in his shirt and jacket, she finally released her emotions in the form of uncontrollable trembling and unrelenting sobbing.

The authorities showed up not long after, and due to the numerous witnesses at the scene, Ichigo was quickly cleared of any possible charges of assault. The drunken man was hauled away, and the crowd that had gathered slowly began to disperse.

Several people offered the orange-head their praise, but he brushed most of it off in favor of tending to his companion. One of his hands ran soothingly through her hair, while another rubbed gentle circles along the small of her back. After a while, after her shaking had finally stopped, he led her over to a _different_ bench and easily sat her down next to him.

Apparently unsatisfied with that, Desiree climbed up to sit in his lap.

Ichigo might have protested that particular action, if not for the fact that she then proceeded to curl into a ball and clutch Tanin tightly against her chest. Letting out a sigh, the orange-head continued to silently soothe her for as long as she needed.

A few minutes quickly became ten, and then fifteen.

"Is your hand alright?"

The former Substitute blinked. "What?"

Desiree sniffled, and maneuvered herself in such a way that she could properly face him. This, however, meant that she was effectively straddling him. "You struck that man hard enough to knock him unconscious with only a single blow. Surely, that must have injured your hand to some degree?"

Ichigo shrugged, and brought up the hand he'd used to knock the guy on his ass. Giving it a gentle squeeze with his other hand, he grimaced slightly when a minuscule flash of pain raced through the appendage. "Eh, it stings a bit, but I'll live."

"Let me see it," his female companion said.

"Seriously, it's fin-"

"I'm not asking you, Ichigo; I'm _telling_ you. Now let me see your hand."

Letting out a sigh of resignation, he allowed her to grasp his larger hand in both of her smaller ones. Bringing it closer to her face for proper inspection, Desiree's brow furrowed as she assessed the repercussions her rescuer had suffered. As he'd said, there wasn't much damage aside from the slight redness and swelling of his knuckles. A cool, soothing cloth would most likely fix that given enough time.

He didn't have to know that though…

Leaning forward, the former genie placed a series of long, _slow_ kisses against each of his knuckles, and massaged the remainder of his hand with her fingers. Ichigo went deathly still underneath her as soon as her lips were pressed against his skin, and even though she wasn't currently looking at him at the moment, Desiree could tell without a shadow of a doubt that he was staring at her with wide eyes.

As she finally drew away, she turned back to face him. "Whenever I was a girl, and I would come home with various scrapes and bruises, my mother would always make sure to sit me down and kiss each and every injury. She always told me that love between two people would aid in the healing process. The stronger the love, the faster the injury would heal."

"L-Love…?" Ichigo croaked.

"There is more than one type of love, Little Master," Desiree smirked, rolling her eyes. "That being said…I _do_ care for you a great deal. You have wholeheartedly filled a position in my life I have not known I needed until recently."

"And…what would that be…?"

"A friend. In truth, I am basically your servant. You could have used your wish to force me to strip down and use my body to provide you with pleasure no mortal could even begin to comprehend. Instead, you used your first wish to bless me with an experience that I have desperately needed for hundreds of years. I have been given a chance to feel human again…and I doubt there will ever be anything I can say or do that will properly show how grateful I am to you."

"You really don't have to…"

"Having to and wanting to are two different things, Little Master," she replied lowly, leaning forward towards his face. Unfortunately, before their lips could meet, a flash of movement behind Ichigo suddenly caught her attention. Her eyes widened briefly, before her face morphed into a furious scowl.

Letting out an indignant huff, Desiree vaulted herself into a standing position.

"Stay put, Ichigo. I will be back shortly," she growled, before marching off into the trees.

For his part, the former Substitute blinked exactly eight times before sagging against the bench and letting out an oh-so-elegant reply.

"Bwuah?"

* * *

"You'd better be right about this, Ember…" Kitty groused.

"Of course I'm right!" the musician hissed. "She has the same hair, the same eyes, she's about the same height, and their faces look exactly the same. I'm telling you, that chick is Desiree!"

"Like I said, you'd better be right," Kitty replied. "Otherwise, that means we've been stalking an ordinary human couple who are out on a date."

"Um, ladies?" Penelope suddenly cut in, her head swiveling around as if looking for something. "Where did she go?"

The two younger ghosts paused in their argument to see what their red-haired companion was talking about. Surely enough, the young woman who Ember was adamant was Desiree was nowhere to be seen. The young man she'd been accompanying was sitting alone on the small wooden bench, looking as if his entire world had just been flipped on its head.

"W-What the hell?!" Ember exclaimed. "We only looked away for a second! Where the hell did she go?"

" _WHAT THE NAME OF THE GODS ARE YOU THREE DOING HERE?!"_ A positively _furious_ voice suddenly screeched from directly behind them.

Ember, Kitty, and Penelope each leaped about five feet into the air, before falling back to the ground in a jumbled heap. Letting out simultaneous groans, they all looked up to see the woman they'd been spying on giving them a very expectant glare.

"D-Desiree…?" Penelope asked.

The dark-skinned woman let out an annoyed grunt. "Of course it's me, you imbeciles! Have you been _stalking_ me the entire day?!"

"Not the entire day…" Kitty groaned. "Just half of it."

Sighing in irritation, Desiree brought up a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "Fine, fine…I don't care. Just tell me what it is you want so that I may return to my friend."

"Okay, two things…" Ember said, quickly hopping back up to her feet. "One, how the fuck are you a human? And two, why are you getting all handsy with a guy? I thought you hated all men."

"Ichigo is different!" the former genie snapped. "He is a kindhearted, compassionate, brave, chivalrous, and understanding person. He is a far cry from every other despicable man I have encountered in both my living and undead time on Earth."

"Okay, okay…" the blue-skinned spirit raised her hands. "We get it, you have a lady-boner for him."

Desiree's eyes narrowed. "I doubt I even _want_ to know what that means. To answer your other question, though, I am human because Ichigo wished for it to be so. He is my current Master, and he used his first wish to allow me to remain human for a full twenty-four hours. I have been enjoying myself immensely for the past few hours, until you three decided to _spy_ on us and ruin a beautiful moment! Ugh! I was _so_ close as well!"

"I take it this means you won't want to join the Sisterhood, then?" Penelope asked.

"You assume correctly. Even if I did want to join your little cult, I would be unable to. I am supernaturally bound to Ichigo for as long as he has wishes remaining. This means that I cannot travel too far from him, otherwise I would simply be teleported right back to his side. I am also unable to grant the wishes of any other mortal or immortal beings until my bond with my Master has reached its conclusion."

"So…you're stuck with him?" Kitty surmised.

"In a manner of speaking," Desiree replied irritably. "However, I quite enjoy his company. Now then, if our business here is concluded, I would very much like to return to my Master before he gets too worried about me."

With than, the temporary human stalked off through the bushes and back towards her orange-haired companion.

Ember, Kitty, and Penelope each shared looks of surprise.

"Sounds like she really likes him…" Ember mumbled.

"Yeah…" Kitty agreed.

Penelope let out a huff. "Well, I for one am happy for her. It has been ages since Vlad has shown me any type of love of attention; that's why I left his sorry carcass back in the Ghost Zone. I'm glad that Desiree has finally managed to find someone who treats her so well, especially considering her history with men."

Ember sighed a bit guiltily. "Well great, now I feel like a bitch for following them all day…we should make it up to her."

Kitty grimaced. "And how do you propose we do that?"

The blue-skinned spirit smirked. Snapping her fingers, an electric blue guitar materialized out of thin air and dropped right into her waiting hands.

"Simple. We set the mood."

* * *

 **There is no way I can say how sorry I am for taking so long with this chapter…**

 **My Christmas break turned out to be a lot busier than I anticipated, so I was unable to get a whole lot of writing done at the time. Then, when school started back up, I was immediately swamped with an overwhelming amount of assignments and projects. And** _ **THEN,**_ **I got sick with a fever and chills, and that kept me up for a few nights, which contributed to a lack of sleep.**

 **All in all, I haven't had very much time to simply sit down and write.**

 **Now, though, I've managed to catch a break between all of my projects, and I hope I can steer clear of any illnesses for a while.**

 **There is my excuse for not getting this out as soon as I should have.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Like I said several chapters ago, more** _ **Danny Phantom**_ **characters would indeed make an appearance, and I delivered on that promise in the forms of Ember, Kitty, and Penelope. Each of whom, I might add, I had a crush on when I was a kid.**

 **Now then, in regard to the scene with Desiree and the drunk man, I would like to make something clear before someone potentially takes it the wrong way. Desiree is a strong-willed woman; we are all aware of this fact. Ordinarily, she would be more than capable of handling herself, but due to her combined Androphobia and Haphephobia, I thought it would be fitting for her to react in the way that she did. For those of you who are unaware, Androphobia is an irrational fear of men, while Haphephobia is the fear of being touched. People who suffer from these issues often break down completely when confronting a scenario that puts them into direct confrontation with their fears, no matter how strong they may appear to be on the outside.**

 **Also, it has been several centuries since Desiree has actually been in a position to be touched by a man, so that shock sort of overwhelmed her system and forced her rationality to shut down.**

 **My intent was not to have Ichigo appear to be a knight in shining armor for a helpless damsel in distress, even though we all know he would jump into this type of situation without giving it a second thought. I don't know, maybe I'm over-thinking things, but in this modern world where people can potentially get offended by any little thing, I just wanted to clarify.**

 **Oh, and Desiree is able to see Kitty, Ember, and Spectra due to the fact that they each have the same spiritual origin. They all come from the Ghost Sone, whereas the Spirits in Karakura Town and the rest of Japan go to Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. Ichigo can't see them due to the fact that he currently doesn't have any powers, obviously.**

 **Additionally, it looks as though Ichigo's friends from school might be getting an idea of why he was so upset with them at the café…**

 **Will they be able to patch things up with him?**

 **Will Desiree get her moment in the spotlight with her Master?**

 **Will the Sisterhood of Ghosts meddle in her love life?**

 **Will Ikumi find out about all of this?**

 **Stay tuned until next time to find out! As always, reviews are appreciated.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


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